A new paper (Wang et al. 2026) suggests that the bedrock failure that initiated the Nepal landslide disaster may have displayed measurable precursory deformation. Inevitably, one of the key discussion points in the aftermath of the 26 August 2026 Nepal landslide disaster is whether the failure could have been anticipated. Opinions differ, but a key […]
Nepal
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The landslide that caused the 26 August 2026 debris flow in Nepal and Tibet
Enough satellite and drone imagery is now available to allow some initial analysis of the landslide that started the 26 August 2026 debris flow in Nepal and Tibet. Much has been written over the last ten or so days about the tragic debris flow that has caused such high levels of damage and loss of […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 26 August 2026 catastrophic debris flow in Nepal and Tibet
The catastrophic debris flow that struck Nepal and Tibet today was triggered by the collapse of a glacier high in the mountains. Loyal readers will have seen the footage of the catastrophic debris flow that struck parts of Tibet and Nepal today, 26 August 2026. There is a variety of sources, of which the CCTV […]
Posted inNews
Trekking Tourism Leaves a Microplastic Footprint in a High Himalayan Lake
Plastic pollution may ripple downstream, threatening the human and wildlife communities that depend on glacier-fed waters.
Posted inNews
Vegetation Moves Upslope Across the Himalayas
The vegetation line in places like Nepal and Bhutan is shifting upward by meters per year, with implications for how water moves through the planet’s “Third Pole.”
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
On the economic benefits of rural roads in Nepal
A new paper (Adhikari et al. 2026) in the journal Asian Development Review shows that earthen roads in the hilly areas of Nepal generate limited economic benefits but carry a high landslide cost. Loyal readers of this blog will have seen many posts that cover the problematic landslide history of low technology rural roads in […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
Fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968
Since 1968, there have been over 1,400 fatal landslides in Nepal, killing over 6,000 people. I’m currently writing a paper on the patterns of fatal landslides in Nepal since 1968. This is an update on the paper we wrote almost 20 years ago (Petley et al. 2007) that examined the changing patterns of landslides there. […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
A late monsoon sting in the tale in the Himalayas
Very heavy rainfall across Nepal, NE. India and Bhutan has triggered landslides that have killed at least 60 people. Over the last few days, parts of the Himalayas have been hit by very high levels of rainfall, causing large numbers of damaging landslides. The picture is not yet fully clear, but Nepal and Bhutan, and […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The devastating 26 to 28 September 2024 rainfall event in Nepal
The most severe rainfall event ever recorded in Nepal impacted about 2.6 million people, causing losses of US$370 million and about 270 lives. Between 26 and 28 September 2024, a devastating late monsoon rainfall event in Nepal triggered hundreds of landslides. In landslide terms, this was the most serious event recorded in Nepal outside of […]
Posted inThe Landslide Blog
The 8 July 2025 catastrophic flood at Rasuwagadhi in Nepal
Yesterday, catastrophic flood swept down the Bhote Kosi river through Tibet and Nepal. At least 28 people have been killed. There is speculation that this might have been a GLOF. On 8 July 2025, a catastrophic mudslide / flood suddenly struck the Rasuwagadhi border crossing point between Tibet and Nepal, causing extensive damage. The Himalayan […]