Climate change boosted risk of devastating Himalayan flood, experts say
Summary
Climate change may have intensified the risk of a devastating Himalayan flood that killed 165 people and left nearly 1,500 missing along the Nepal-Tibet border. Scientists say warming, melting glaciers and unstable mountain slopes are making cascading disasters in the region more frequent and severe.
Key Points
- Scientists say climate change is creating conditions that destabilize high-mountain rock and ice, increasing the risk of Himalayan disasters.
- The flood along the Nepal-China Tibet border killed 165 people and left nearly 1,500 missing, including at least 800 foreigners.
- Experts believe the disaster may have begun with a massive ice-rock avalanche near Langtang Lirung that triggered cascading floods and infrastructure damage.
- The event is being described as a possible compound disaster driven by warming, glacier loss, thawing permafrost and slope instability.
