Himalayan Meltdown

Climate Fractures at the Roof of the World Are Endangering Lives and Water Supplies for Millions

The Himalaya mountains are one of the world’s most important sources of fresh water, their flanks giving rise to the great rivers of Asia. The mountains are also young, geologically volatile, and undergoing a deadly disruption. The heat of climate change is turning the Roof of the World into a high-risk region as glaciers melt, floods rip through canyons, and landslides bury roads, hydropower dams, and villages.

Uttarakhand’s Furious Himalayan Flood Could Bury India’s Hydropower Program

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April 2, 2014

A treacherous mountain range unleashes a torrent of water, mud, and boulders that was long anticipated and willfully ignored.

Uttarakhand Flood Disaster Made Worse By Existing Hydropower Projects, Expert Commission Says

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May 8, 2014

Report calls for new Himalayan development policy; stirs political battle in New Delhi.

Himalayas Strike Again: Deadly Landslide in Nepal

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August 6, 2014

Sun Koshi River is blocked, 156 people are dead, and 10 percent…

Nepal Earthquake Damages At Least 14 Hydropower Dams

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May 5, 2015

Nation's power grid loses more than 30 percent of generating capacity.

Unstable Slopes: Nepal Landslide Highlights Risk to Lives and Infrastructure in Himalayas

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May 28, 2015

Triggered by the April 25 earthquake, Kali Gandaki landslide reveals long-term challenges in the world’s highest mountain range.

With Rising Temperatures, Stark Changes Ahead for Asia’s Water Tower

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February 8, 2019

The melting of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region will alter water supplies for a quarter of the planet’s people.