Nepal floods threaten jobs and livelihoods beyond disaster zone: ILO

The deadly flash floods in northern Nepal have severely disrupted employment and livelihoods, with wider impacts beyond communities that were directly affected, the International Labour Organization (ILO) said in a preliminary assessment released on Thursday.

“The employment consequences of this disaster will not stop at the edge of the flooded area,” said Numan Özcan, ILO Country Director for Nepal. 

“Damage to transport links, electricity infrastructure and trade routes can carry the shock through supply chains, markets and connected services, affecting workers and enterprises much farther away.”  

Loss and destruction 

The catastrophic flooding in late August – triggered by a glacier collapse on the border with China – destroyed homes, workplaces, roads, bridges and energy infrastructure. More than 1,450 people were killed and 5,786 are still missing, according to the authorities. 

The ILO estimated that some 21,400 employed people live within four kilometres of the “flood footprint”, and the disaster has disrupted economic activity and blocked workers from reaching jobs, markets and essential services. 

People working in tourism, agriculture and transport and those employed by small businesses are particularly facing significant pressure. 

They include guides, porters and transport operators as well as hotel, restaurant and agricultural workers. These employees may face reduced earnings, interrupted work, difficulty accessing customers, needed inputs and markets. 

Concern for informal workers 

The ILO explained that Nepal has a high level of informal employment, meaning that many workers have limited income and social protection.  

Daily-wage, casual and informal workers and those who are self-employed or who have micro- and home-based business are at heightened risk. 

“Women workers may face the combined effects of lost paid work and increased unpaid care responsibilities,” the assessment said, further warning that “severe household income losses may also increase the risk of child labour as a negative coping strategy.” 

Trade disruptions 

The brief also examined disruption to the Nepal-China trade corridor, which could also affect companies and workers far beyond the flood-affected districts. 

Two key overland routes – Rasuwa and Tatopani – accounted for some 22 per cent of Nepal’s imports from China over the past year. The floods severely damaged critical transport infrastructure in Rasuwa, responsible for nearly half of exports to China.  

Disruptions “could therefore affect not only transport and border-related employment, but also workers and enterprises involved in wholesale and retail trade, construction, manufacturing, agricultural processing and other activities linked to imported inputs and export markets”. 

The ILO assessment stressed that recovery and reconstruction can help protect livelihoods while creating decent employment. 

It concluded with recommended next steps, including immediate income support for households and businesses, “employment-intensive reconstruction” and job matching and skills development. 

♦ Receive daily updates directly in your inbox - Subscribe here to a topic.