Himalayan building boom puts 300,000 people in disaster zones

At least 300,000 people in parts of the Himalayas may now live in the path of potential disasters, a study in Scientific Reports suggests. Built-up land in high-risk zones of northern Nepal, south-eastern Tibet and part of Uttarakhand grew about 45% between 2016 and 2023, and almost 78% near glacial lakes prone to flooding. Researchers say the real figure could be higher.