Explained: Can Insurance Save Nepal From Its Billion-Dollar Disaster?

Livemint

Published4 Sep 2026, 07:04 PM IST

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The devastating 26 August floods have left Nepal facing a reconstruction bill estimated at $4–5 billion. Yet insurance claims filed so far total only about $171 million, highlighting a massive gap in how national disasters are financed. Nepal’s Finance Minister has called the higher figure preliminary. Of the claims submitted to 15 non-life insurers, over $132 million come from engineering and construction policies linked to infrastructure and hydropower projects. Property, motor and cargo claims make up the rest.