On 26 August, an avalanche and massive flood swept through Nepal’s Rasuwa district. Thousands of lives were lost, homes were destroyed, roads and energy infrastructure were washed away, and trade and tourism were disrupted.

Disaster early-warning systems can succeed — but collective action is needed

This catastrophe should not be treated as just another disaster. It is the latest — and worst — in a series of exceptionally massive deluges of rock, ice and debris from mountains. The unprecedented scale of the damage shows that current approaches of assessing and managing these risks have failed. Moreover, with global warming accelerating, further disasters of this magnitude are expected.

How scientists analyse and officials manage environmental risks in mountainous regions must urgently be restructured.…