Nepal flood exposes risks from melting glaciers and thawing permafrost as Himalayas warm
Severe flooding in Nepal, exacerbated by melting glaciers and thawing permafrost, has caused significant loss of life and infrastructure damage. Experts warn that the warming climate is making Himalayan mountain communities increasingly unstable and dangerous.
Why it matters
The disaster underscores the urgent threat climate change poses to high-altitude regions, often referred to as the 'third pole,' and the difficulty of managing risks in vulnerable mountain terrain.
Link copied Share Share article The mud tsunami in Nepal has brought the risk from the warming climate to mountain communities into sharp focus.
Thousands of people are still missing, and the death toll is rising. Dozens of bridges have been washed away and vast sections of road obliterated, making rescue operations through the rugged Himalayan terrain even more difficult.
Nepal flash floods updates : Follow this story as it unfolds with our live blog.
Beyond melting ice and glacial lakes at risk of overflowing, the very ground people have built their lives on is shifting. Scientists have warned for years that a warming climate is destabilising the Himalayas, and there are far-reaching consequences for infrastructure and those who live there. Could some of these places become too dangerous for people to live in?
It's a question causing Umesh Haritashya, a glacier expert from the University of Dayton, to pause.
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