Himalayas Face Serious Risk of Glacial Floods, UN Expert Warns

Millions of people living across the Himalayas could face catastrophic glacial floods in the coming years, a senior United Nations official has warned. Kanni Wignaraja, an assistant secretary-general of the UN, said the threat extends beyond individual communities to major river systems and hydropower facilities on which many people depend.

Her warning followed a destructive glacier collapse in Nepal at the end of August 2026 that reportedly killed more than 1,000 people. The disaster began near the summit of Langtang Lirung, where parts of a glacier collapsed, triggering a landslide and flooding.

Scientists identified 47 potentially dangerous glacial lakes in Nepal, China and India in 2020, but the number of such lakes is now known to be considerably higher. The people living in exposed areas number in the millions, Wignaraja said. “Technology is not developing quickly enough to prevent losses along these vast river systems that collect excess water from glacial lakes,” she said.

“

Technology is not developing quickly enough to prevent losses along these vast river systems that collect excess water from glacial lakes.

Glacial lake outburst floods occur when meltwater builds up behind a natural barrier. Growing pressure can cause the barrier to rupture or overflow, sending a sudden flood downstream. Climate change is increasing the danger by accelerating glacier melt, loosening mountain rocks and placing greater pressure on the barriers.

The August 26 disaster caused a sharp rise in the Bhote Koshi River after an ice-and-rock avalanche. Several settlements, roads and hydropower facilities were destroyed. A mudflow also swept away a border checkpoint in Gyirong County in China's Tibet Autonomous Region. Kyrgyzstan's Foreign Ministry said preliminary Chinese information indicated that no Kyrgyz citizens were among those killed or missing in Tibet and Nepal.

“

The number of people in the risk zone runs into the millions.