Swiss glacier collapse underscores urgency of efficient warning systems elsewhere, experts say
Footage of the May 28 collapse showed a huge cloud of ice and rubble hurtling down the mountainside, into the hamlet of Blatten.
Ali Neumann, disaster risk reduction advisor to the Swiss Development Cooperation, noted that while the role of climate change in the specific case of Blatten 'still needs to be investigated', the wider impacts were clear on the cryosphere – the part of the world covered by frozen water.
'Climate change and its impact on the cryosphere will have growing repercussions on human societies that live near glaciers, near the cryosphere, and depend on glaciers somehow and live with them,' he said.
The barrage largely destroyed Blatten, but the evacuation of its 300 residents last week averted mass casualties, although one person remains missing.
'It also showed that with the right skills and observation and management of an emergency, you can significantly reduce the magnitude of this type of disaster,' Neumann said at an international UN-backed glacier conference in Tajikistan.
Stefan Uhlenbrook, Director for Hydrology, Water and Cryosphere at the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), said it showed the need for vulnerable regions like the Himalayas and other parts of Asia to prepare.
'From monitoring, to data sharing, to numerical simulation models, to hazard assessment and to communicating that, the whole chain needs to be strengthened,' Uhlenbrook said.
'But in many Asian countries, this is weak, the data is not sufficiently connected.'
Need better warning systems
Swiss geologists use various methods, including sensors and satellite images, to monitor their glaciers.
Asia was the world's most disaster-hit region from climate and weather hazards in 2023, the United Nations said last year, with floods and storms the chief cause of casualties and economic losses.
But many Asian nations, particularly in the Himalayas, lack the resources to monitor their vast glaciers to the same degree as the Swiss.
According to a 2024 UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction report, two-thirds of countries in the Asia and Pacific region have early warning systems.
But the least developed countries, many of whom are in the frontlines of climate change, have the worst coverage.
'Monitoring is not absent, but it is not enough,' said geologist Sudan Bikash Maharjan of the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
'Our terrains and climatic conditions are challenging, but also we lack that level of resources for intensive data generation.'
That gap is reflected in the number of disaster-related fatalities for each event.
While the average number of fatalities per disaster was 189 globally, in Asia and the Pacific it was much higher at 338, according to the Belgium-based Centre for Research on the Epidemiology of Disasters' Emergency Events Database.
Heightened risk of landslides
Himalayan glaciers, providing critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters, scientists warn.
Hundreds of lakes formed from glacial meltwater have appeared in recent decades. They can be deadly when they burst and rush down the valley.
The softening of permafrost increases the chances of landslides.
Declan Magee, from the Asian Development Bank's Climate Change and Sustainable Development Department, said that monitoring and early warnings alone are not enough.
'We have to think ... about where we build, where people build infrastructure and homes, and how we can decrease their vulnerability if it is exposed,' he said.
Nepali climate activist and filmmaker Tashi Lhazom described how the village of Til, near to her home, was devastated by a landslide earlier in May.
The 21 families escaped – but only just.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
11 hours ago
- France 24
From drought to floods, water extremes drive displacement in Afghanistan
"When you have children and are responsible for their needs, then tell me, what are you still doing in this ruin?" said the 50-year-old. Many of the mud homes around him are already empty, he said, his neighbours having abandoned the village, fleeing "thirst, hunger and a life with no future". Successive wars displaced Afghans over 40 years, but peace has not brought total reprieve, as climate change-fuelled shocks drive people from their homes and strain livelihoods. Since the war ended between the now-ruling Taliban and US-led forces in 2021, floods, droughts and other climate change-driven environmental hazards have become the main cause of displacement in the country, according to the UN's International Organization for Migration (IOM). In early 2025, nearly five million people across the country were impacted and nearly 400,000 people were displaced, the IOM said in July, citing its Climate Vulnerability Assessment. The majority of Afghans live in mud homes and depend heavily on agriculture and livestock, making them particularly exposed to environmental changes. The water cycle has been sharply impacted, with Afghanistan again in the grip of drought for the fourth time in five years and flash floods devastating land, homes and livelihoods. "Crop failure, dry pastures and vanishing water sources are pushing rural communities to the edge," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization said in July. "It's getting harder for families to grow food, earn income or stay where they are." Experts and Taliban officials have repeatedly warned of escalating climate risks as temperatures rise, extreme weather events intensify and precipitation patterns shift. The country's limited infrastructure, endemic poverty and international isolation leave Afghans with few resources to adapt and recover -- while already facing one of the world's worst humanitarian crises worsened by severe aid cuts. Too little Abdul Jalil Rasooli's village in the drought-hit north has watched their way of life wither with their crops. Drought already drove many from his village to Pakistan and Iran a decade ago. Now they've returned, forced back over the border along with more than four million others from the two neighbouring countries since late 2023 -- but to work odd jobs, not the land. "Everything comes down to water," said the 64-year-old, retreating from the day's heat in the only home in the village still shaded by leafy trees. "Water scarcity ruins everything, it destroys farming, the trees are drying up, and there's no planting anymore," he told AFP. Rasooli holds out hope that the nearby Qosh Tepa canal will bring irrigation from the Amu Darya river. Diggers are carving out the last section of the waterway, but its completion is more than a year away, officials told AFP. It's one of the water infrastructure projects the Taliban authorities have undertaken since ousting the foreign-backed government four years ago. But the theocratic government, largely isolated on the global stage over its restrictions on women, has limited resources to address a crisis long exacerbated by poor environmental, infrastructure and resource management during 40 years of conflict. "The measures we have taken so far are not enough," Energy and Water Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor told journalists in July, rattling off a list of dam and canal projects in the pipeline. "There are a lot of droughts... this is Allah's will, first we must turn to Allah." Hamayoun Amiri left for Iran when he was a young man and drought struck his father's small plot of land in western Herat province. Forced to return in a June deportation campaign, he found himself back where he started 14 years ago -- with nothing to farm and his father's well water "getting lower and lower every day". The Harirud river was a dry bed in July as it neared the border with downstream Iran, following a road lined with empty mud buildings pummelled back to dust by the province's summer gales. Too much Taliban authorities often hold prayers for rain, but while the lack of water has parched the land in some parts of the country, changes in precipitation patterns mean rains can be more of a threat than a blessing. This year, rains have come earlier and heavier amid above-average temperatures, increasing flood risks, the UN said. A warmer atmosphere holds more water, so rain often comes in massive, destructive quantities. "The weather has changed," said Mohammad Qasim, a community leader of several villages in central Maidan Wardak battered by flash floods in June. "I'm around 54 years old, and we have never experienced problems like this before," he told AFP in the riverbed full of boulders and cracked mud. Eighteen-year-old Wahidullah's family was displaced after their home was damaged beyond repair and all their livestock were drowned. The family of 11 slept in or near a rudimentary tent on high ground, with no plans or means to rebuild. "We're worried that if another flood comes, then there will be nothing left and nowhere to go." © 2025 AFP
France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
Flood kills 37 in Indian Kashmir mountain village
It is the second major deadly flooding disaster in India this month. "The news is grim," Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said in a statement, reporting a "cloudburst" of intense rain that had hit the Kishtwar district. Crowds gathered at a Kishtwar hospital while people carried some of the injured on stretchers. "Dead bodies of 37 people have been recovered," said Mohammad Irshad, a top disaster management official, adding there was no count of any missing people available. Irshad told AFP 150 wounded people were also rescued from the disaster site "50 of whom are severely injured", all sent to nearby hospitals. Sushil Kumar, a resident of nearby Atholi village, told AFP: "I saw at least 15 dead bodies brought to the local hospital." Pankaj Kumar Sharma, district commissioner of Kishtwar, said earlier that "there are chances of more dead bodies being found". Pilgrims' kitchen washed away Chisoti village, where the disaster hit, is on a Hindu pilgrimage route to Machail Mata shrine. Officials said a large makeshift kitchen where there were more than 100 pilgrims -- who were not registered with local authorities -- was completely washed away. Rescue teams were facing difficulty reaching the area and soldiers also joined the effort. Roads had already been damaged by days of heavy storms. The area lies more than 200 kilometres (125 miles) by road from the region's main city Srinagar. "Every possible assistance will be provided to those in need," Prime Minister Narendra Modi said. Floods on August 5 swept away the Himalayan town of Dharali in India's Uttarakhand state and buried it in mud. The likely death toll from that disaster is more than 70 but has yet to be confirmed. Floods and landslides are common during the monsoon season from June to September, but experts say climate change, coupled with poorly planned development, is increasing their frequency and severity. The UN's World Meteorological Organization said last year that increasingly intense floods and droughts are a "distress signal" of what is to come as climate change makes the planet's water cycle ever more unpredictable.
Euronews
7 days ago
- Euronews
Extreme weather continues across US midwest with floods and hail
Heavy rains across the US Midwest on Sunday caused flash flooding in large areas that cut power to thousands of households in southeast Wisconsin, according to emergency officials. The flash flooding affected half a dozen Midwest states, including the city of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, forcing motorists to abandon their vehicles and necessitating multiple water rescues, authorities said. Organisers of the Wisconsin State Fair said they were scrapping the final day of the 11-day event after rains flooded the fairgrounds in West Allis, which is just outside Milwaukee. 'We are saddened we cannot deliver this final day of the Wisconsin State Fair, but know that this is the best decision with current conditions and the forecast ahead,' organizers said in a statement. The US National Weather Service issued flood watches and warnings for parts of Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Missouri, Illinois, and Wisconsin. Nearly 18,000 people in Wisconsin without power Following heavy rainfall, which started on Saturday in some regions, forecasters predicted 'repeated rounds of heavy rain,' along with hail, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes into Monday. According to the National Weather Service, among the worst hit was the Milwaukee area, where up to 14 inches (36 centimetres) of rain had fallen in some areas by Sunday, which also noted river flooding in Milwaukee and Waukesha counties. Some motorists left their stranded cars on the roads. Nearly 18,000 customers of We Energies in southeast Wisconsin were without power late Sunday. In the suburban village of Wauwatosa, an overflowing and fast-moving Menomonee River submerged a popular playground. Firefighters responded to over 600 calls, including for gas leaks, flooded basements, electrical outages and water rescues, according to the Milwaukee Fire Department. And while crews worked to clear surface water, the Red Cross opened two shelters in the city for displaced residents. 'We're still in the middle of it,' Fire Chief Aaron Lipski told reporters Sunday. 'We're still catching up right now.' Sprint and Paratriathlon National Championships cancelled In Milwaukee, USA Triathlon cancelled the Sprint and Paratriathlon National Championships, which were anticipated to draw thousands of competitors. Even though American Family Field's parking lot was still closed to cars, the Brewers and Mets still played there. 'We will not be able to guarantee parking for all fans, even those who purchased parking in advance,' the Brewers said in a statement before the game. City officials warned residents to avoid driving or walking in the standing waters. 'It remains dangerous,' the City of Milwaukee Department of Public Works said in a statement. Tropical Storm Henriette expected but no threat Meanwhile, Tropical Storm Henriette rapidly strengthened into a hurricane Sunday in the central Pacific Ocean with further strengthening expected, but it poses no threat to land, the National Hurricane Center said. The Miami-based centre said the storm was located about 720 kilometres north-northeast of Hilo, Hawaii, with maximum sustained winds of 130 kph It was moving northwest at 28 kph on a course that's expected to take it well north of the Hawaiian Islands over the next few days. The storm was expected to strengthen through Monday, followed by weakening on Tuesday. The centre described Henriette as a small tropical cyclone. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 30 kilometres from the storm's centre.
