Articles | Volume 22, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-3105-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-22-3105-2022
© Author(s) 2022. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
26 Sep 2022
Research article |
| 26 Sep 2022
| 26 Sep 2022
Rare flood scenarios for a rapidly growing high-mountain city: Pokhara, Nepal
Melanie Fischer
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of
Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
Jana Brettin
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of
Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
Sigrid Roessner
Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Potsdam, Germany
Ariane Walz
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of
Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
Monique Fort
Département de Géographie, Université Paris Cité,
Paris, France
Oliver Korup
Institute of Environmental Science and Geography, University of
Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
Institute of Geosciences, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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Short summary
Nepal’s second-largest city has been rapidly growing since the 1970s, although its valley has been affected by rare, catastrophic floods in recent and historic times. We analyse potential impacts of such floods on urban areas and infrastructure by modelling 10 physically plausible flood scenarios along Pokhara’s main river. We find that hydraulic effects would largely affect a number of squatter settlements, which have expanded rapidly towards the river by a factor of up to 20 since 2008.
Nepal’s second-largest city has been rapidly growing since the 1970s, although its valley has...
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