According to a new scientific study, climate change likely contributed to the glacier collapse that caused catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet last month, creating conditions that made the Himalayan slope more prone to failure, BBC reported.
Researchers from the World Weather Attribution group reported that rapid warming had thinned glaciers, thawed permafrost, and increased meltwater around Langtang Lirung mountain, where a massive rock-and-ice collapse occurred on Aug. 26.
The collapse released about 110 million cubic metres of rock and ice that thundered into the valley below, triggering a torrent of debris that roared downstream through towns and infrastructure. Some 1,400 people died in the disaster and thousands are missing, Reuters said.
The researchers said climate change should be viewed as a destabilising factor, not the only cause of collapse. The study said a 2015 earthquake may also have weakened the mountain slope and unusually heavy snowfall in late 2025 may have contributed to meltwater.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that human-induced climate change played a role here in the preconditioning of the disaster through permafrost thawing, through thinning of the glaciers, through having more rainfall instead of snow,” climatologist Friederike Otto said.
The findings could also bolster Nepal’s case for international financial support on climate change issues.
