In the aftermath of devastating floods that swept through Nepal, authorities are turning to DNA analysis to identify victims whose remains were too badly damaged for conventional identification methods. The use of genetic testing offers a critical tool in cases where extreme weather events leave bodies mangled or decomposed beyond recognition, a challenge that has plagued disaster response efforts in the Himalayan nation. Families of the missing have long faced the agonizing uncertainty of not knowing whether their loved ones survived, and DNA matching provides a path toward closure. The effort underscores the growing role of forensic science in managing the human toll of increasingly severe climate-related disasters across South Asia.
