Nepal Flood Leaves Over 8,000 Dead or Missing... The 'Warning Sign' Spotted Before Glacier Collapse

Abnormally High Temperatures Detected Before Glacier Collapse
Study Analyzes the Impact of Global Warming

A recent study has found that climate change likely played a significant role in destabilizing glaciers, contributing to the catastrophic collapse and widespread flooding that occurred last month in the Himalayan mountain region on the Nepal-China border.

On the 29th of last month (local time), Nepalese soldiers and related personnel were repairing the road to the hydropower plant under construction by Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility in Bidur, Nepal. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

According to the UK Guardian on September 17 (local time), the World Weather Attribution (WWA), an international climate research collaboration, confirmed in its first scientific analysis of the disaster that abnormally high temperatures were observed prior to the glacier collapse.

On August 26, a massive section of glacier and rock, spanning approximately 200,000 square meters, broke off from Mount Langtang Lirung. The resulting flood claimed or left missing over 8,000 people.

The glacier and rocks fell about 1,400 meters down to the valley floor. The impact was so powerful that it was recorded as an earthquake, and the melting of ice during the process triggered the flood. Water rushed down the river at speeds exceeding 177 kilometers per hour.

The torrent—an intense mixture of water, ice, rocks, and debris—swept away residents, homes, villages, roads, bridges, and other infrastructure. Survivors were left isolated, cut off from outside access.

In their report, the researchers explained that the glacier collapse unleashed as much as 110 million cubic meters of snow and ice into the valley, generating a flash flood of extraordinary magnitude that struck downstream villages without warning.

Dr. Ben Clarke, a researcher in extreme weather and climate change at Imperial College London, stated that there was clear evidence of climate change in the long-term alterations around the glacier prior to the collapse. He explained that greenhouse gas emissions had steadily warmed the atmosphere for decades, exacerbating multiple factors which together led to the disaster.

The study found that, due to climate change, temperatures in the collapse region have increased by about two degrees Celsius compared to pre-industrial levels. In July and August, temperatures rose by approximately 1.5 degrees.

On the 29th of last month (local time), Nepalese soldiers and related personnel were repairing the road leading to the hydroelectric power plant being constructed by Korea South-East Power and Doosan Enerbility in Bidur, Nepal. Photo by Yonhap News Agency

July and August of this year were the hottest months ever recorded in the region, and in the days immediately before the collapse, temperatures soared up to five degrees above the 30-year average.

In the Himalayas, the altitude at which temperatures reach zero degrees Celsius has risen by around 100 meters each decade since the 1980s. The thawing period at higher elevations has become longer, weakening slopes containing permafrost.

The research team also noted that a landslide of this magnitude is extremely rare, estimated to occur only once every 1,000 to 10,000 years. They assessed this disaster as a clear indication that our ability to adapt to climate change has already reached its limits.

Friederike Otto, professor of climate science at Imperial College London and a co-author of the study, pointed out, "Emissions of fossil fuel greenhouse gases, even thousands of kilometers away, are causing crises that claim lives in Nepal."

Professor Otto also warned, "When global warming makes the 'Roof of the World'—the Himalayas—unstable, local adaptation measures alone will not be enough to fully protect downstream communities from disasters of this scale. Unless we accelerate the transition to eliminate fossil fuel emissions, similar catastrophes will inevitably become more frequent in the future."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.