Nepal floods test 36-year-old PM with huge rebuilding challenge

Nepal Prime Minister Balendra Shah (second from right) arrives on Thursday to inspect the area following flash floods in Nepal's Nuwakot district on Wednesday. | AFP-JIJI

Bloomberg

Aug 27, 2026

Nepal faces a daunting reconstruction effort after violent flash floods swept away bridges, roads and communications links across the Himalayas, putting Prime Minister Balen Shah’s new government through its first crisis and testing its ability to respond.

Shah, 36, swept to power this year on a wave of Gen Z anger with the political establishment. He now faces a costly recovery just as Nepal’s $45 billion economy is being squeezed by higher fuel costs, weaker tourism and slowing growth in the wake of the Iran war.

Nepal sits atop an active Himalayan fault, while its steep mountains, monsoon-swollen rivers and glacial lakes leave communities exposed to earthquakes, landslides and floods that have killed hundreds or even thousands in past disasters.

In a time of both misinformation and too much information,
quality journalism is more crucial than ever.
By subscribing, you can help us get the story right.