It will happen again, sooner rather than later. The floods that have are precisely what climate scientists have warned of. Urgent action is needed to protect the area鈥檚 vulnerable people, says Maharaj Pandit at the University of Delhi, India.
鈥淚t is not unusual to have flash floods,鈥� he says. A 2013 study of the Himalayas鈥� history shows floods have been common for at least 1000 years ().
鈥淏ut what we鈥檙e seeing is the interval between two extreme events is now shortening,鈥� says Pandit. 鈥淭he events are getting much closer.鈥�
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The Himalayas are projected to receive more monsoon rain as the climate warms. Combined with extra glacier melt, flooding will worsen.
Just last year northern India and Nepal suffered severe floods. But despite attempts and to increase preparedness, little has been achieved, Pandit says.
In particular, the monitoring mechanisms in the region are poor, and there need to be better communication systems that can warn communities of coming floods.
