⛰️ Nepal disaster raises huge data sharing issue with China
A glacier collapse on the Nepal-China border on August 26 has caused a major disaster, leaving 903 dead and 4,247 missing in Nepal, alongside 16 dead and 546 missing in China. This incident exposed serious gaps in how cross-border Himalayan disaster data is shared between the two nations. Nepal needs real-time data, but China's control over Tibetan Plateau information is restricted due to political reasons. Kathmandu plans to push for a formal data-sharing deal with Beijing, similar to its system with India. This highlights Nepal's dependence on a larger neighbor for monitoring Himalayan hazards. ⛰️