Nepal floods 'wake up call', expert urges stronger monitoring
ISTANBUL: The devastating flash floods and mudslides that struck the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China should serve as a “wake-up call” for countries in the region, an expert in critical geography told Anadolu Ajansi.
A devastating flash flood and mudslide struck the Himalayan border region between Nepal and China, resulting in a death toll of 1,130 as of Wednesday, with search operations ongoing for nearly 4,500 missing individuals. The disaster occurred on August 26 when a glacier on Mount Langtang Lirung fractured, causing an ice-rock avalanche that turned into a massive debris flow, sweeping through valleys along the border.
The surge of water and mud devastated several regions in Nepal and also affected the Gyirong border crossing in southwestern Tibet. Professor Daanish Mustafa, a critical geography expert from King's College London, emphasized that such a disaster is inevitable in the dynamic glacial and seismically active environment of the high Himalayas and the Karakorams.
He warned that dams in high mountains simply exacerbate the damage caused by these events and urged South Asian countries, particularly India, China, and Pakistan, to heed the warning and implement measures such as public education, evacuation drills, effective communication infrastructure, and enhanced monitoring. China's Foreign Ministry attributed the disaster to glacier instability resulting from long-term climate warming, while Mustafa called for a wait until independent scientific assessments are available before accepting official claims.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
