Umesh Haritashya

Dr. Haritashya studied glacier hydrology, modeling and remote sensing image analysis at the Indian Institute of Technology. His research primarily focuses on field-collected and satellite-borne data to understand the impact of climate change on the changing landscape of the cryosphere (snow, ice and glaciers), high-mountain hazards (landslides, debris flows, glacial lake and landslide lake outburst floods, etc.), and mountain hydrology (runoff modeling, sediment transport, hydroelectric reservoir management, etc.).

How ice and rock triggered Nepal’s catastrophic flood – and why climate change is raising the risks

The catastrophic flood that killed hundreds of people in Nepal in August shows the ways rising temperatures, thawing permafrost and melting ice are increasing the risk of destructive floods in the Himalayas and other regions around the world.

September 17, 2026