Nepal-Tibet Floods Expose Risks
Deadly Himalayan floods spur climate warnings and Chinese censorship claims.
The reporting
China said it penalized at least 10 people for spreading alleged online rumors about the Tibet flood disaster, as public discussion of the August 26 Nepal-Tibet flash floods remained restricted. The floods washed away buildings, bridges and other infrastructure, killed hundreds across Nepal and China, and left thousands missing. Scientists suspect a glacier-linked landslide or glacier collapse triggered the surge, focusing attention on climate change, glacier melt and unstable glacial lakes. In Nepal, crews cleared mud from a damaged hydropower station that serves more than 20,000 people.
Analysis & opinion
Climate flood riskMostly Center
Warming in the Himalayas is making glacier-linked floods more dangerous and more likely. Melting ice, expanding glacial lakes, and more extreme flood hazards now threaten hydropower systems and millions of people across and beyond the region.
