“Nepal disaster is a warning: The Himalayas are changing in dangerous ways”, First Post, August 29, 2026
“The catastrophic flood which descended through the Nepal Himalayas this week will inevitably revive discussion about Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). That is useful, but it should lead us towards a more comprehensive understanding of what is happening in the high mountains.
A GLOF is only one member of a growing family of Himalayan hazards.
Glaciers can retreat and leave expanding lakes behind them. Moraine dams can fail. Hanging glaciers can detach. Entire masses of rock and ice can break away from steep mountain faces. Permafrost which has helped bind high-altitude rock together can degrade. One event can trigger another, converting an avalanche into a debris flow, temporarily damming a river and eventually producing a catastrophic flood hundreds of kilometres downstream…….”
Read full article at firstpost.com
