Climate change had major role in triggering Nepal floods, scientists say | Climate Crisis News
Death Toll Rises to 1,446 Following Devastating Floods in Nepal and Tibet
Published September 17, 2026
Kathmandu, Nepal — The death toll from last month’s catastrophic floods in Nepal and Tibet has risen to 1,446, with at least 6,669 individuals still unaccounted for, according to officials.
Scientists say climate change played a significant role in the glacial mountain collapse that triggered the disaster. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) group released a report on Thursday characterizing the incident as a “compound crisis,” resulting from long-term warming, glacier retreat, thawing permafrost, and geological instability, rather than from a single extreme weather event.
The report follows the dramatic collapse of a substantial portion of rock and glacier from Langtang Lirung mountain on August 26, which unleashed a torrent of water, ice, and debris, devastating communities and infrastructure downstream.
“Relentless warming has raised the altitude of the freezing threshold in the high Himalayas, allowing ice and permafrost deep within the bedrock to experience higher and more prolonged thaw temperatures, thereby destabilizing mountain slopes,” the report noted. Co-author Walter Immerzeel, a mountain hydrologist from Utrecht University, emphasized that the region is experiencing “fundamental, irreversible shifts,” with glacier retreat and permafrost degradation further compromising mountain stability.
Nepal, home to approximately 30 million residents, contributes only a small fraction of global greenhouse gas emissions compared to more industrialized nations. The WWA study indicated that July and August were the warmest months ever recorded in the region, with temperatures averaging 5 degrees Celsius (9 degrees Fahrenheit) above normal. Increased meltwater, driven by heavy snowfall in late 2025, contributed to the flooding.
The report also references the impact of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake that struck Nepal in 2015, which may have further weakened the slope’s integrity.
The catastrophic floods have raised serious concerns about the limits of adaptation to climate change. Prime Minister Balendra Shah is slated to address the United Nations General Assembly next week regarding this pressing issue, marking his first overseas trip as Nepal’s leader.
The estimated cost for reconstruction following the floods is $4.78 billion. Speaking to reporters, Friederike Otto, a climate science professor at Imperial College London, stated, “There is no doubt that climate change is one of the drivers, and it needs to be discussed in the context of loss and damage.”
Nepal’s disaster authority updated its statistics on Wednesday, increasing the number of people considered missing to 6,150 after thorough verification in the impacted areas. So far, recovery teams have retrieved 1,403 bodies, with 105 identified.
In China, state media report 43 fatalities and 519 individuals are still missing. The combined toll from the disaster across both nations now totals 1,446 dead and at least 6,669 missing.
