Zero: The Climate Race Nepal disaster shows how mountains are becoming less stable
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Aug 31, 2026 
Lou Del Bello, a Bloomberg News reporter covering energy, climate and environmental risks in South Asia, investigates Nepal’s deadly glacial-collapse flood. She explores how warming is destabilizing the Himalayas, why dense communities face growing danger, and how roads, dams and tourism development amplify risks. The conversation also examines monitoring challenges and community-led alternatives.
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A Glacier Collapse Struck Without Warning
- A glacier fragment collapsed without rain or forecast warning, creating a temporary dam that later burst into a devastating flood.
- The resulting surge submerged towns within seconds, leaving more than 1,500 people missing at the time of recording.
The Third Pole Is Losing Its Stability
- The Himalayas form the “third pole,” a vast frozen-water reserve whose destabilizing ice releases rock, silt and water into an already risky monsoon system.
- El Niño made conditions drier than usual, showing that reduced precipitation can still produce drought, wildfire and other hazards.
Tourists Found No Snow At Nanda Devi
- Lou Del Bello found no snow at a normally popular ski destination near Nanda Devi, despite tourists driving 12 hours to reach it.
- The disappearing snow affects tourism, agriculture and local economies across the mountains.