Researchers: warming, quake among likely factors of floods

Researchers: warming, quake among likely factors of floods

Researchers studying the catastrophic flood along the border between Nepal and China say the likely trigger was a combination of factors, including global warming and a past earthquake.

The international research group World Weather Attribution released a report Thursday based on weather and topography data, as well as satellite images.

The report says global warming caused glaciers to melt and grow thin. Temperatures were higher than average this summer, and even at high elevations there was rain, rather than snow, leaving slopes unstable. The report also says a magnitude 7.8 quake in Nepal in 2015 may have weakened the underlying rock mass.

The group says Nepal has early warning systems and adaptation measures in place, but this flood was fundamentally different in its magnitude, speed and complexity. It adds that in order to minimize risks in the future, there must be a transition away from fossil fuels.

Since the disaster, over 1,400 people have been confirmed dead, and over 6,600 are still missing.