Hundreds of thousands still at risk of climate-linked floods in Nepal

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1. 1h ago

   Hundreds of Thousands Face Flood Risk in Nepal

   Communities across Nepal remain at extreme risk from climate-linked floods as research shows about 294,000 people live in highly vulnerable areas of the Himalayas. Six weeks after a deadly flooding disaster originated near the border with China's Tibet region on August 26, authorities report that search and rescue operations have ended. Displaced residents continue to struggle while agencies state that nearly $5 billion is needed to assist those affected. Global warming destabilizes local rock and ice slopes, increasing threats from glacial lake outburst floods.

   Why it matters

   Recent scientific studies reveal that exposure to flood hazards in high mountain catchments is growing due to climate change, glacier retreat, and landscape evolution. Building areas within vertical proximity to river channels and modeled flood extents have increased significantly in recent years. International organizations emphasize the urgent need for climate finance and sustained support to protect vulnerable Himalayan communities from future disasters.

   What is confirmed

   • Authorities say they need nearly $5 billion to help the thousands of people displaced by the Aug. 26 flood originating at Nepal's border with China's Tibet region.
   • About 294,000 people are living in areas of extreme risk in a country where climate change is destabilizing the rock- and ice-holding Himalayan slopes.
   • Six weeks after Nepal's deadly flooding disaster, communities are still struggling to rebuild their lives, but they will need sustained help as global warming increases the risk of another Himalayan catastrophe, according to the UN Children's Fund.

   What to watch next

   • Deployment of international climate finance and donor funding for flood recovery and defense projects in Nepal.
   • Implementation of new infrastructure and settlement policies to reduce population exposure in vulnerable Himalayan catchment areas.
   Sources used for this update (21)

   1. www.nbcnews.com — Nepal ends search and rescue after deadly flood, with more ...
   2. www.nbcnews.com — Hundreds of thousands still at risk of climate-linked floods ...
   3. NBC News — Hundreds of thousands still at risk of climate-linked floods in Nepal
   4. The New York Times — As Flood Risk Increases in Himalayas, Nepal Builds More in Vulnerable Areas
   5. The World Economic Forum — Nepal's decade of disasters highlights the urgent need for climate finance
   6. The Conversation — Almost 300,000 people now live in flood-prone areas in the Nepalese Himalayas – new research
   7. The Rising Nepal — Mountains Face Growing GLOF Threat
   8. news.un.org — Amid heartache of Nepal flooding disaster, fear remains - UN News
   9. www.unicef.org — Nepal: A long road to recovery
   10. jen.jiji.com — Kazakhstan names airports with most frequent bird strikes
   11. www.newsbreak.com — A 7.7-magnitude earthquake rocks Panama - NewsBreak
   12. truthout.org — Extreme Weather Disasters Cost Hundreds of Billions. Let’s Make Polluters Pay. | Truthout
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