New Delhi, Oct 29: At least 300,000 people in parts of the Himalayan region could be living in areas vulnerable to floods, landslides and other disasters amid a rapid construction boom, a new study has found, the BBC in an article reported.
The peer-reviewed study, published in Scientific Reports, found that built-up land in high-risk areas of northern Nepal, south-eastern Tibet and parts of Uttarakhand increased by around 45 per cent between 2016 and 2023. Development in areas particularly threatened by glacial lake floods rose by nearly 78 per cent.
The researchers warned that the actual number of people at risk could be considerably higher. The BBC report attributed the growing danger to rapid urbanisation, poorly planned tourism infrastructure and climate change, which is accelerating glacier melt and increasing the risk of devastating floods.
C Scott Watson, the study’s lead author and a glaciologist at the University of Leeds, warned that development decisions being taken today would shape disaster risks for decades. The report also highlighted concerns over weak enforcement of building regulations in Uttarakhand, where construction has expanded in vulnerable river valleys.
