As Nepal assesses the damage from the devastating flashfloods near its border with Tibet, Beijing’s restrictions on access to the affected region have come under scrutiny, raising broader concerns over the availability of timely information and hydrological data to countries downstream.

The August 26 disaster, involving a glacier collapse and a massive debris flow, caused widespread destruction on both sides of the border. While the Nepalese side has remained accessible to journalists and rescue personnel, independent reporting from the Tibetan side has been severely constrained.

Australia’s ABC reported that foreign journalists could not travel independently in Tibet, and that reliable information about the situation in the affected areas had been difficult to obtain.

It said images showing the destruction at the Gyirong border crossing that appeared online soon after the disaster were later removed from Chinese internet platforms.

Similar concerns were ...