Coffee & Geography Espresso - 11 - Nepal Floods: Unseen Disasters and Climate Change

In this Espresso & Geography special, Kit Marie and Alistair Hamill respond to the devastating floods affecting Nepal and Tibet following a major ice-and-rock avalanche on 26 August 2026. They examine the emerging physical geography of the disaster, the possible influence of a rapidly warming Himalayan climate, and why it is too early to attribute one complex event to climate change with certainty. The conversation also asks why some disasters dominate global attention while others remain largely unseen, and how teachers can discuss unfolding tragedies without turning human suffering into spectacle. A respectful discussion about hazardous processes, climate justice, media representation, and keeping people’s experiences at the heart of geographical education. Because this is an ongoing emergency at the time of recording and release, casualty figures and scientific explanations may change. These links prioritise official scientific information, peer-reviewed research, reputable reporting, and humanitarian support. 🔗 USGS: 2026 Nepal Debris Avalanche and Flash Flood: https://www.usgs.gov/programs/landslide-hazards/science/2026-nepal-debris-avalanche-and-flash-flood 🔗 The Climate Brink - Nepal disaster and climate attribution: https://www.theclimatebrink.com/p/what-we-can-and-cannot-say-about 🔗 Climate-induced loss and damage in Nepal: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/climate/articles/10.3389/fclim.2026.1782991/full 🔗 IFRC Nepal Flash Floods Emergency Appeal: https://www.ifrc.org/emergency/nepal-flash-floods-2026 🔗 British Red Cross: Nepal flood response: https://www.redcross.org.uk/stories/disasters-and-emergencies/world/nepal-flash-floods-2026 A full write-up and access to the articles written by Kit Marie and Alistair can be found on Geogrambling's The Life Geographic Blog here: https://geogramblings.com/?p=13591 Other links: 🔗 The Derna floods and dam failures in Libya https://www.britannica.com/event/Libya-flooding-of-2023 🔗 Volcán de Fuego, Guatemala 2018 https://www.prensalibre.com/guatemala/3-de-junio-de-2018-tragica-erupcion-del-volcan-de-fuego/ 🔗 CNN News: "Rescuer was woman's last hope in Haiti: 'We told her we won't leave'" https://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/28/haiti.rescuer/ 🔗 The Bridger Foothills Fire, September 2020 https://geogramblings.com/2020/09/11/bridger-foothills-fire-video/ #CoffeeGeogPod #NepalFloods #Nepal #Tibet #Himalayas #GlacierCollapse #IceRockAvalanche #ClimateChange #ClimateJustice #DisasterRisk #NoNaturalDisasters #GeographyEducation #GeographyTeachers #MediaLiteracy #DisasterEducation