Changing weather patterns threaten time-tested houses in Nepal village

Residents of Thini village in Nepal's Trans-Himalayan Mustang region are struggling to maintain their ancestral mudbrick houses as heavier, more frequent rain and snow are causing roof leaks and weakening the mud-stone walls. Some residents have built concrete houses to avoid climate-related damage, but these structures are costly and ill-suited to the region's cold winters compared to traditional mud homes. Researchers link the housing challenges to changes in precipitation, including heavier snowfall, intense rainfall and "rain bombs," which traditional flat-roofed mud houses aren't designed to withstand.