Nepal-Tibet flooding - August 2026

I've waited a few days before posting anything about this event as it is an emerging event, and the scale of it, coupled with uncertainty about its origins was unclear at the time it happened - and remains so now, although high resolution satellite imagery is showing its dramatic impacts.

It's also entirely possible that students that some of us / you reading this may have a personal connection with the region and with people who have been caught up in the events.

There is also an element of avoiding blogging about such events when so many have lost their lives... while hazards are an area that geographers focus on because of the contents of exam specifications - or existing KS2 and 3 schemes, I try to avoid examples where lots of people have lost their lives. 

There was a particularly harrowing video released early showing the Gyirong Port border crossing post, which satellite images reveal has been completely destroyed.

At the weekend, Kit Marie Rackley and Alistair Hamill recorded a special edition of the 'Espresso and Geography' podcast - available as audio and video version.

They examine the emerging physical geography of the disaster, the possible influence of a rapidly warming Himalayan climate, and why it is too early to attribute one complex event to climate change with certainty. The conversation also asks why some disasters dominate global attention while others remain largely unseen, and how teachers can discuss unfolding tragedies without turning human suffering into spectacle.

A respectful discussion about hazardous processes, climate justice, media representation, and keeping people’s experiences at the heart of geographical education.

Because this is an ongoing emergency at the time of recording and release, casualty figures and scientific explanations may change. These links prioritise official scientific information, peer-reviewed research, reputable reporting, and humanitarian support.and Geography' podcast.

As with any disaster (and there are no natural disasters), the big numbers we will see are all individual tragedies, impacting on thousands of families, schools, workplaces and friends of those who have lost their lives.

Alistair Hamill shared a link to this StoryMap earlier today, which is also a dynamic document.

Amongst the horror there were some positive stories. Rajendra Dawadi, the principal of Tribhuvan Trishuli secondary school in the Trishuli valley of north-central Nepal has been hailed as a hero by quickly evacuating his school and warning bus drivers to turn round - this reminds me of the Ukedo Elementary School near Fukushima, during the 2011 tsunami where teachers acted quickly.

I would anticipate some sort of fund-raising efforts once the new academic year begins too.

Mr. P's been to Iceland

The Geography Deapartment have been on their travels this half term...

Mrs. M and Miss. S headed South

Mr. P headed North... to Iceland (not the freezer store) - here are a few geographical highlights.

The Ice Man

Matt Podbury and Russel Tarr are putting together a geography / history unit based on my children's book 'The Ice Man', which was published in 2012, for the lucky students at the International School of Toulouse.

It's great to see what they're creating, and you can head over to Geography Pods to see the geography related elements of the unit, along with some supporting resources.

Thanks guys !

The book is still available to purchase of course...

And King's Ely students will be looking at this book too, later in the year.

Huge glacier collapse in West Greenland

On May 28, 2008, Adam LeWinter and Director Jeff Orlowski filmed a historic breakup at the Ilulissat Glacier in Western Greenland. The calving event lasted for 75 minutes and the glacier retreated a full mile across a calving face three miles wide. The height of the ice is about 3,000 feet, 300-400 feet above water and the rest below water.

Antarctic Glacier site...

A useful website called Antarctic Glaciers just passed through my twitter feed...
It's designed for older students, but contains a lot of information that may be relevant to those teaching the frozen continent lower down the school.

There's plenty of information related to the continent, and also some useful interactive models.

Download these, and have a play...