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.

Everest controversy

At the very end of the climbing season we had one final news story which led to some controversy.

Clearing up Everest

When we teach about extreme environments, we always include a short look at Mount Everest and what draws people to risk their lives climbing it. 

We discuss the mortality rate of climbers, and the disproportionate impact on the Sherpa who fix the ropes and ladders in the most dangerous area of the mountain: the Khumbu Glacier's icefall.

There is a growing number of permits being allocated in each climbing season, which adds to the overcrowding on the mountain - the delays this leads to can increase the risk to climbers, as they may have to spend longer in the 'death zone'.

Students always ask why they don't just remove the bodies from the mountain.

The BBC News published an article on their website which goes a long way to answering that question with some specifics about the cost, the process and the risks involved.