Aaliyah Afolabi
Connector Editor
On Aug. 26 of this year near the Nepal-Tibet border, swept a devastating flash flood that killed more than one hundred people, with hundreds missing and displaced. Leading up to this sudden event, it is said that this was triggered by the partial collapse of a glacier sitting at the top of the Langtang Lirung peak of the Himalayas, into the Trishuli River valley shared by Nepal and China (the Tibetan Region). When the glacier fell into the river, the water rose up to nine meters within thirty minutes, sweeping up surrounding infrastructure and lives.
An important factor that is said to have caused the collapse of this glacier is the rising temperatures of the average climate in this region. The logic behind this is that the melting from the rising heat led to a breakdown in the bedrock that supports the glacier, which eventually caused its fall into the river.
According to researchers from Imperial College London and the World Weather Attribution group, they observed that the temperatures in this region were higher than usual before the collapse. The study also found that the region has warmed by 2°C since pre-industrial times. Since the climate of this region has warmed significantly since pre-industrial times, it makes one wonder how much of this impact of global warming is caused by humans. While climate change was not the main cause of this tragedy, it is an important factor to highlight, as it is something we can mitigate.
Not only were lives lost and have people gone missing, but people and their livelihoods were also displaced. The homes they have inhabited have been destroyed by an avalanche of water, forcing them to find new places to stay. The freeways that they transport on have been crushed to crumbles, making it difficult for them to find greener pastures to make the most out of their situation. The food that they eat, with more about 1,800 hectares of crops and thousands of livestock being killed, having been washed away. The lives of the victims of this disaster will never be the same again.
To help with repairs and displacements, some organizations around the world and governmental aid programs have provided alms to help mitigate the results of this disaster. China and India are helping with rescuing efforts, which included building bailey bridges to areas affected in the remote areas of the region. The global network Direct Relief, partnered with Mountain Heart Nepal to assist with medical care to those affected. They helped with transportation to the hospital, psychosocial support, hygiene kits, as well as maternal and newborn services. Project HOPE, working with Nepal’s Volunteer Corps, has also deployed mobile medical units in impacted communities. The United Nations has an active fundraiser, aiming to raise $50 million to deliver emergency assistance to those impacted by the flood.
What has happened in Nepal and China is a devastating experience that no one should have to go through. As there was a significant warming in the climate since the start of the industrial era, we can come to a consensus that part of climate change is caused by human activity. If we all take a stance to become more sustainable, our planet will heal and the likelihood of tragic occurrences like this happening will be very low.
