Despite losing everything, communities along the Nepal-Tibet border are helping each other rebuild

Hearts across the globe are aching for communities along the Nepal-Tibet border.

Last Wednesday, a catastrophic flash flood ripped apart whole villages and swept away dozens of vital bridges and roads .

It has claimed the lives of more than 1000 people , as authorities race to find thousands more who are unaccounted for and free hundreds of trapped hydropower tunnel workers.

In the wake of the flood, the world has rallied to support ongoing rescue and humanitarian efforts .

But as with any disaster, shifting from rescue to recovery will be far from straightforward.

Soniya, co-author of this article and a Nepali national, experienced this firsthand while providing humanitarian assistance to communities rocked by the deadly 2015 Nepal earthquake .

Our research shows local communities are critical to ensuring disaster-hit regions can recover and rebuild.

Read more: Satellite images show how the Nepal flood disaster unfolded In the wake of disaster It is difficult to comprehend the scale and severity of the Nepal-Tibet floods.

Families around the world are grieving, with many still wondering whether their loved ones are even alive.

Aside from the tragic human cost, the floods have destroyed whole networks of critical infrastructure .

In the worst-affected districts, roads, bridges, power lines, and river gauges have collapsed, cutting off the very channels needed to get medical aid and supplies to stranded residents.

The demand for these local infrastructure services is at an all-time high, as displaced families seek shelter, the injured search for hospitals and people wait hours and days for their deceased relatives to be identified .

Our research team studies how communities, government agencies, not-for-profit organisations and businesses work together in the wake of disasters.

Our research shows local communities consistently carry the weight of disaster recovery.