Srinagar, Sept. 9 -- The Himalayas are often described as the "Third Pole" because they contain some of the largest concentrations of snow and ice outside the polar region. These glaciers feed major rivers and support millions of people across South Asia. But as the climate changes, the same mountains are also becoming increasingly exposed to a different kind of danger sudden floods originating from glaciers, ice, unstable slopes, and high-altitude lakes.

Recent events in Nepal's Rasuwa district have once again drawn attention to this risk. At the same time, the devastating cloudburst and flash flooding in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, in August 2025 showed how quickly extreme weather can turn into a major disaster in the Himalayan region...