It was an extraordinary and essentially unpredictable natural disaster; there was little or nothing anyone could reasonably have done to prevent the loss of life.

The disaster itself was largely unavoidable, but better warnings, evacuation procedures, and emergency preparation might have saved more lives.

It was an enormous natural disaster, but its human impact was made significantly worse by insufficient monitoring, Early Warning Systems, and public preparedness.

Government failures in zoning and infrastructure regulation unnecessarily placed communities, workers, and tourists inside known high-risk flood pathways.

The risks from climate change and unstable Himalayan glaciers were well documented; the government’s failure to prepare adequately amounts to serious negligence.

Responsibility is shared: Nepal could have prepared better, but limited resources, the disaster’s exceptional scale, and the need for cross-border cooperation also contributed to the outcome.

It is too early to determine responsibility; an independent investigation must first establish what was foreseeable and what could realistically have been prevented.