health
The Guardian view on the Nepal-Tibet floods: prepare for more climate-linked disasters
Medicine, food and other supplies are the urgent priority. But the rising risks from shrinking glaciers must be faced too
TL;DR
- Thousands in Nepal and Tibet require emergency aid following a flash flood caused by a glacier collapse.
- Hundreds are confirmed dead, with over 1,300 missing as search operations continue.
- The disaster highlights the increasing risks posed by climate change, with the Himalayas warming at twice the global average.
- Urgent needs include medical supplies, food, shelter, electricity, and clean water.
- Scientists point to global heating as a destabilizing factor in mountain environments, increasing risks of avalanches, landslides, and floods.
- There is a need to transition away from fossil fuels and implement resilience and adaptation measures, including early-warning systems and disaster preparedness.