In Nepal, June through August is known as the monsoon season. Similar to the hurricanes that occur in the Caribbean, monsoons that sweep through southeast Asia can be devastating. On average, it rains daily during the monsoon season, and the country can expect anywhere from 200-375 millimeters of rainfall. On June 16, 2021, the Melamchi River in Nepal showed the world just how much damage a monsoon can bring.

A little under 40 miles from Kathmandu in the Sindhupalchok district, the Melamchi river has become a wash of mud and debris that has washed away homes and businesses, displacing hundreds of people. There is no other way to describe the situation other than a disaster. Fortunately, experts have begun using drones in the region to better understand the effects of monsoons and how to prepare the country to survive them. In 2015, WeRobotics was established in Wilmington, Delaware to enable the localized use of drones in small communities. They help drone companies throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America access the resources needed to have successful drone operations.

In countries like Nepal, using technology like drones is very beneficial, but only when it is orchestrated within local communities that can get the job done without having to go through bureaucratic hurdles. WeRobotics helped facilitate the Nepal Flying Lab coordinated by Uttam Pudasaini. Within hours of the news of the flood in Melamchi, Uttam was able to have a drone operator in the region to begin collecting aerial data that would be critical in relief management. “Hourly drone images at the Melamchi headworks allowed us to capture the extent of the damage, and made us realize the importance of having a ready to deploy experienced drone team within the country,” Uttam said.

Uttam, through the Nepal Flying Lab, has been regularly coordinating drone missions throughout Nepal, which has become known as a multi hazard prone country. Nepal faces challenges from severe weather, earthquakes, pollution, and deforestation. Using drones to collect data, Uttam is creating jobs and datasets that can be used to make future predictions, and repair sustained damages. When the Melamchi River flooded, most of the areas that needed to be inspected were completely inaccessible, but not by drone.

Uttam and a team of experts in weather patterns and disaster risk management began collecting aerial data every hour. This data gave the experts information on the structural integrity of the flood zone, the extent of damage that occurred, predictions as to what damage will take place, the rate at which the flood was traveling and expanding, and the factors that led to the disaster. Uttam and the coordinating teams developed a usable risk management baseline for the Melamchi River that will help rapidly address the disaster.

“Rapid, locally-led drone deployment demonstrated that it is an effective technique for real-time damage assessment, as well as the dynamics of the river and debris flow,” said Uttam. However, he also said that there is still a lot of room for improvement when it comes to using drones in disaster zones. Uttam was already well aware of just how useful drones can be in collecting data in a disaster zone. The Melamchi River flood showed him that the Nepal Flying Lab needs to get even more drone pilots registered for greater deployment. He also saw a need for finding ways to coordinate drone operations with other aerial rescue vehicles for smoother operations.