Study suggests 300,000 could be in path of potential Himalayan disasters as Nepal plans riverbank ban
Built-up land in high-risk areas rose 45% in seven years; Nepal says settlements within 15m of one river corridor will soon be banned
At least 300,000 people in parts of the Himalayan region could be living in the path of potential disasters, according to a new study published in Scientific Reports. The research found that built-up land in high-risk zones in northern Nepal, parts of south-eastern Tibet and a corner of India's Uttarakhand grew about 45% between 2016 and 2023, and almost 78% in areas particularly threatened by glacial lake floods. The study was carried out before August's devastating floods, which left more than 1,400 dead and thousands missing in Nepal. More recently, flooding along the Budhi Gandaki river on 11 October damaged 200 houses and swept away five bridges. Settlements within 15 metres of the riverbank along the Rasuwa-Bhotekoshi corridor will soon be banned, according to Nepal's national disaster agency, while Uttarakhand's government approved new floodplain zoning rules on 12 October.