28/08/2026
Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this devastating tragedy.
At least 616 people have died and more than 1,900 people, including 41 Australians, remain missing after a massive wave of ice, mud and rock cascaded more than 170 kilometres down the Bhote Koshi River valley in Nepal.
Early analysis suggests a glacier collapse may have triggered the disaster. While the exact cause is still unclear, scientists have long warned that the Himalayan region is rapidly warming.
Global heating, caused by the burning of fossil fuels, is accelerating glacier retreat and permafrost thaw, destabilising mountain slopes and increasing the risk of landslides, debris flows and floods in the region.
Nepal contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions - it is unjust that those who have contributed least to the climate crisis are now suffering the most.
Governments and fossil fuel companies have a responsibility to stop making the problem worse. For the health of people and planet, we must stop burning fossil fuels.