Experts sound alarm after deadly scenario unfolds in high-stakes region: ‘Unprecedented and largely irreversible changes’

A glacial lake outburst flood on the border of Tibet and Nepal took at least nine lives in Nepal.

The flood destroyed the Nepal-China Friendship Bridge and damaged highways, power stations, and other infrastructure in Nepal, BorderLens reported.

What’s happening?

A glacial lake outburst flood occurs when a lake that typically forms from melted ice within a glacier suddenly releases its water.

According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, there are over 54,000 glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas that cover more than 60,000 square kilometers (more than 23,000 square miles).

However, a report from Reuters estimates that 30% to 50% of the Himalayan glaciers will have melted by 2100 if we continue on our current climate trajectory.

The ICIMOD developed an assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalayas’ glaciers in 2023. In it, they wrote that the ice of the region is “undergoing unprecedented and largely irreversible changes over human timescales, primarily driven by climate change.”

As this ice melts, events like the recent flood in Nepal may become more common.

Why is glacier melt important?

The recent flood in Nepal is not an isolated event. The country experienced a glacial lake outburst flood in 2024 and another in 2021.

The changing climate has to do with the shifting of temperature and weather patterns, specifically those brought about through human activity like burning dirty energy sources. Although natural disasters have always been a part of life on Earth, the overall scientific agreement is that human-caused changes to the climate supercharge these extreme weather events.

As the effects of the changing climate worsen, communities around the world are put at risk. From rising sea levels threatening coastal cities to wildfires and drought, humanity increasingly has to adapt to a changing planet.

Nepal is among many countries that are most vulnerable to the hazards of the changing climate while contributing little, comparatively, to the pollution that worsens the climate.

What’s being done about glacial ice melt?

BorderLens reported that satellite images show the increasing pace of glaciers melting in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. Rising temperatures will only hasten the melt speed. They also note that Nepal does not have its own satellites, so they may need to coordinate with another country to get the data needed to formulate flood plans.

To avoid the consequences of melting glaciers worldwide, countries will have to cut back on their reliance on dirty energy sources like coal and natural gas. Burning these resources adds heat-trapping pollution to the atmosphere that raises temperatures and exacerbates the melting problem.

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