By Feng Chaoyang
On Aug. 26, a devastating mudslide in Nepal caused heavy casualties and left people missing at the Gyirong port in Gyirong county, Xigaze, southwest China’s Xizang autonomous region.
The disaster originated on the Nepali side of a river along the China-Nepal border. At an altitude of about 5,200 meters on the northern slope of Mount Langtang Lirung, a glacier broke apart, triggering an ice-rock avalanche. The avalanche swept up debris and raced roughly 22 kilometers down the mountain, eventually reaching the Gyirong port in China at an altitude of about 1,800 meters.
The entire event unfolded in just six to seven minutes, destroying 27 buildings and associated facilities across an area of about 0.7 square kilometers. The sudden natural disaster caused heavy losses of life and property, drawing deep sorrow from people around the world.
From the perspective of hazard formation, the Gyirong mudslide was a typical cascading disaster driven by climate change. A glacier calving event triggered a debris flow. As it raced downhill at high speed, the flow entrained massive volumes of rock and soil, evolving into a mudslide that rushed into the river valley. The debris dammed the watercourse, forming a barrier lake. At each link in the chain, the destructive force increased progressively.
This disaster stands out for its transboundary hazard sources, marked by abrupt onset, high concealment, and an extremely narrow early warning window. Accelerated glacier melting caused by global warming, combined with complex geological and geomorphic conditions, were key triggers. Persistent anomalies in the climate system are producing far‑reaching cascading impacts, and global climate risks are rapidly materializing into real‑world catastrophes.
In recent years, climate-related disasters have become increasingly frequent around the world. In 2021, an ice-rock avalanche and debris flow in a mountainous region of India left more than 200 people dead or missing. In 2022, prolonged monsoon rains in Pakistan triggered widespread flash floods and landslides. In 2023, Canada experienced a severe wildfire season that lasted more than five months, burning a cumulative area of about 173,000 square kilometers. In 2026, record-breaking heatwaves occurred with increasing frequency in many parts of the world.
Climate disasters have long transcended national borders and become a systemic risk that confronts all of humanity. According to the United Nations Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction 2025, various disasters cause direct losses of about $202 billion worldwide each year. When broader economic impacts are taken into account, the estimated losses rise as high as $2.3 trillion.
No country can insulate itself from extreme weather events, catastrophic disasters, or transboundary disasters. Joint action on climate change is vital to the survival and well-being of humanity, making international cooperation an urgent necessity. Yet international mechanisms and capacities for disaster risk reduction still lag far behind the growing frequency and complexity of disasters. All parties therefore need to work together in the following areas.
First, countries should jointly build cross-border disaster-chain monitoring and early warning systems. As glacier melt accelerates — increasing the number of glacial lakes and the risk of outburst floods, countries need to collaborate on integrated space-, air-, and ground-based monitoring of glacier-related hazards that span national boundaries. This would enhance early detection and warning capabilities for glacial changes and associated secondary disasters. At the same time, countries should jointly conduct comprehensive surveys of glacier-related risks, shifting from reactive disaster relief to proactive risk management at the source.
Second, countries should deepen information sharing and make advanced technologies more widely accessible. Currently, international assistance is largely limited to bilateral relief efforts after disasters occur. There is an urgent need to establish a regular and institutionalized framework for multilateral coordination. Cutting-edge technologies such as satellite remote sensing, artificial intelligence-powered forecasting and digital twins, along with capacity-building resources including equipment, funding and experience sharing, should be made more accessible to developing countries. This would help enhance risk monitoring, early warning, and emergency response capabilities in cross-border regions.
Third, countries should pursue climate mitigation and adaptation in a coordinated manner. All countries must earnestly shoulder their responsibilities in global climate governance, uphold the principle of common but differentiated responsibilities, and champion true multilateralism by taking stronger actions to curb global warming. At the same time, greater efforts are needed to build disaster preparedness and resilience in different regions. Full consideration should be given to the compounding impacts of cascading disasters, while disaster-resistance standards and protection levels for infrastructure should be systematically raised to strengthen overall capacity to withstand extreme climate events and secondary disasters.
Climate change is a common challenge facing all humanity. Only by sharing responsibilities and working together across borders, with early warning in place and risk management focused at the source, can the world work hand in hand to safeguard a safer and more sustainable future for generations to come.
(Feng Chaoyang is a senior researcher at the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences.)
