Melting glaciers threaten millions of people. Can science help protect them?

Glaciers are melting rapidly because of climate change. All that water has to go somewhere, and some of it is getting trapped in large, unstable lakes that can burst and cause deadly flash floods downstream.

Glacial lake floods are a growing threat. In recent years, multiple glacial lake floods have displaced and killed people. And scientists warn that an estimated 15 million people around the world are at risk from such floods.

In today's episode, Rebecca Hersher and Ryan Kellman from NPR's climate desk share reporting from the front lines of this problem, in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. We hear from residents who live immediately downstream from a dangerous glacial lake. How are they coping with the risk? How has it changed their lives? And what can scientists do to protect people?

This is part of a series of stories by NPR's Climate Desk, Beyond the Poles: The far-reaching dangers of melting ice.

You can see images and video from Tsho Rolpa lake in Nepal's Rolwaling Valley here.

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This episode was produced by Margaret Cirino, edited by Rebecca Hersher and fact-checked by Brit Hanson. The audio engineer was Jay Czys. Voiceovers by Jacob Conrad and Tristan Plunkett.