Q&A: ‘There was a gap between alert and action’ in Nepal floods

On 26 August, a series of flash floods ravaged Nepal's Rasuwa district, leaving at least 1,000 people dead and 4,000 missing as of Tuesday. The tragedy has left scientists scrambling to determine the cause, with preliminary assessments suggesting an ice-rock avalanche, though more recent evidence points to a rock-ice avalanche, according to Saswata Sanyal, ICIMOD's intervention manager for disaster risk reduction.

While the specific trigger cannot currently be attributed to climate change, warming is altering the physical conditions of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, as highlighted in a 2023 ICIMOD report. A 2024 ICIMOD assessment found that glaciers across the region have continued to lose mass at an accelerating rate, with nearly 90% of recorded years showing a negative glacier mass balance over the past five decades.

Experts warn that rapidly forming glacial lakes and changing glacier conditions are increasing the region's vulnerability to downstream hazards. ICIMOD is working with the Nepali government and international experts to analyze drone footage, images, and other data from the disaster area to understand the event better.