Ancient Himalayan village relocates as climate shifts reshape daily life

SAMJUNG, Nepal (AP) — The Himalayan village of Samjung did not die in a day.

Perched in a wind-carved valley in Nepal's Upper Mustang, more than 13,000 feet (3,962 meters) above sea level, the Buddhist village lived by slow, deliberate rhythms — herding yaks and sheep and harvesting barley under sheer ochre cliffs honeycombed with “sky caves” — 2,000-year-old chambers used for ancestral burials, meditation and shelter.

Then the water dried up. Snow-capped mountains turned brown and barren as, year after year, snowfall declined. Springs and canals vanished and when it did rain, the water came all at once, flooding fields and melting away the mud homes. Families left one by one, leaving the skeletal remains of a community transformed by climate change: crumbling mud homes, cracked terraces and unkempt shrines.

The Hindu Kush and Himalayan mountain regions — stretching from Afghanistan to Myanmar — hold more ice than anywhere else outside the Arctic and Antarctic. Their glaciers feed major rivers that support 240 million people in the mountains — and 1.65 billion more downstream.

Such high-altitude areas are warming faster than lowlands. Glaciers are retreating and permafrost areas are thawing as snowfall becomes scarcer and more erratic, according to the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development or ICMOD.

Kunga Gurung is among many in the high Himalayas already living through the irreversible effects of climate change.

“We moved because there was no water. We need water to drink and to farm. But there is none there. Three streams, and all three dried up,” said Gurung, 54.

Climate change is quietly reshaping where people can live and work by disrupting farming, water access, and weather patterns, said Neil Adger, a professor of human geography at the University of Exeter. In places like Mustang, that's making life harder, even if people don’t always say climate change is why they moved. “On the everyday basis, the changing weather patterns ... it's actually affecting the ability of people to live in particular places,” Adger said.

Around the globe, extreme weather due to climate change is forcing communities to move, whether it's powerful tropical storms in The Philippines and Honduras, drought in Somalia or forest fires in California.

In the world's highest mountains, Samjung isn't the only community to have to start over, said Amina Maharjan, a migration specialist at ICMOD. Some villages move only short distances, but inevitably the key driver is lack of water.

"The water scarcity is getting chronic,” she said.

Retreating glaciers — rivers of ice shrinking back as the world warms — are the most tangible and direct evidence of climate change. Up to 80% of the glacier volume in the Hindu Kush and Himalayas could vanish in this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t drastically cut, a 2023 report warned.

It hasn't snowed in Upper Mustang for nearly three years, a dire blow for those living and farming in high-altitude villages. Snowfall traditionally sets the seasonal calendar, determining when crops of barley, buckwheat, and potatoes are planted and affecting the health of grazing livestock.

“It is critically important," Maharjan said.

For Samjung, the drought and mounting losses began around the turn of the century. Traditional mud homes built for a dry, cold mountain climate fell apart as monsoon rains grew more intense — a shift scientists link to climate change. The region's steep slopes and narrow valleys funnel water into flash floods that destroyed homes and farmland, triggering a wave of migration that began a decade ago.

Moving a village — even one with fewer than 100 residents like Samjung — was no simple endeavor. They needed reliable access to water and nearby communities for support during disasters. Relocating closer to winding mountain roads would allow villagers to market their crops and benefit from growing tourism. Eventually, the king of Mustang, who still owns large tracts of land in the area nearly two decades after Nepal abolished its monarchy, provided suitable land for a new village.

Pemba Gurung, 18, and her sister Toshi Lama Gurung, 22, don’t remember much about the move from their old village. But they remember how hard it was to start over. Families spent years gathering materials to build new mud homes with bright tin roofs on the banks of the glacial Kali Gandaki river, nearly 15 kilometers (9 miles) away. They constructed shelters for livestock and canals to bring water to their homes. Only then could they move.

Some villagers still herd sheep and yak, but life is a bit different in New Samjung, which is close to Lo Manthang, a medieval walled city cut off from the world until 1992, when foreigners were first allowed to visit. It's a hub for pilgrims and tourists who want to trek in the high mountains and explore its ancient Buddhist culture, so some villagers work in tourism.

The sisters Pemba and Toshi are grateful not to have to spend hours fetching water every day. But they miss their old home.

“It is the place of our origin. We wish to go back. But I don’t think it will ever be possible,” said Toshi.

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A herd of sheep passes through an alley as they are taken for grazing near the hills at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A woman takes a break from her work at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Kunga Gurung plants an apple tree at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Villagers walk towards a field to plant apple trees in the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A prayer flag and lock are placed on an abandoned door of a house in the village of Samjung, in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A dried up water tap is seen in the abandoned village of Samjung, Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A woman washes her hands in a river at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A man carries hay for his livestock in Kagbeni, Mustang region,462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal,Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Monks play badminton in front of a monastery at Kagbeni, Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Women walk with prayers beads at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A woman makes thread from cotton at a relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A stream which is the main source of drinking water flows through the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Villagers take a break while working in a field at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A woman collects water at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

An abandoned monastery is seen in Samdzong, in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Worn out shoes are strewn in a field in the abandoned Samjung village, Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

An elderly woman reacts while being photographed at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjungvillage in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

The locked door of a house is seen ain the abandoned village of Samjung, Mustang region, 462 kilometers west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A signboard points the way to the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

The abandoned village of Samjung, with ancient caves carved in the cliffs in the background, is seen in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A dried up river bed is seen on the way to the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Friday, April 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

Tashi Angmo, 41, performs her morning prayers with water before collecting it for daily use at the newly relocated settlement of the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Saturday, April 19, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

A dirt road through a barren mountains leads to the abandoned Samjung village in the Mustang region, 462 kilometers (288 miles) west of Kathmandu, Nepal, Thursday, April 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Niranjan Shrestha)

HELSINGBORG, Sweden (AP) — NATO allies and defense officials expressed bewilderment Friday at U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would send 5,000 U.S. troops to Poland just weeks after ordering the same number of forces pulled out of Europe.

The apparent change of mind came after weeks of statements from Trump and his administration about reducing — not increasing — the U.S. military footprint in Europe. Trump's initial order set off a flurry of action among military commanders and left allies already doubtful about America's commitment to Europe's security to ponder what forces they might have to backfill on NATO's eastern flank with Russia and Ukraine.

Earlier this month, the Trump administration said it was reducing levels in Europe by about 5,000 troops, and U.S. officials confirmed about 4,000 service members were no longer rotating into Poland from Germany. The dispatch to Germany of U.S. personnel trained to fire long-range missiles was also halted.

But in a post on Truth Social on Thursday, Trump said he would now send "an additional 5,000 Troops to Poland,” citing his strong ties with Polish President Karol Nawrocki, whom Trump endorsed in elections last year.

“It is confusing indeed, and not always easy to navigate,” Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard told reporters Friday at a meeting she was hosting of her NATO counterparts, including U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Ministers from the Netherlands and Norway were sanguine about Trump’s latest move, as was Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže, who said allies knew the U.S. troop “posture was being reconsidered, and now there is no change of posture. For now.”

U.S. defense officials also expressed confusion. “We just spent the better part of two weeks reacting to the first announcement. We don’t know what this means either,” said one of two officials who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military matters.

But Rubio said Washington’s allies understand that changes in the U.S. troop presence in Europe will come as the Trump administration reevaluates its force needs. “I think there’s a broad recognition that there are going to be eventually less U.S. troops in Europe than there has historically been for a variety of reasons,” he said.

The latest surprise came despite a U.S. pledge to coordinate troop deployments, including one from NATO’s top military officer, U.S. Lt. Gen. Alex Grynkewich, on Wednesday.

Trump's initial announcement that he would withdraw troops came as he fumed over remarks by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said that the U.S. was being “humiliated” by the Iranian leadership and criticized what he called a lack of strategy in that war.

Trump told reporters that the U.S. would be cutting even more than 5,000 and also announced new tariffs on European cars. Germany is the continent’s biggest auto producer.

Rubio insisted that Trump’s decision “is not a punitive thing. It’s just something that’s ongoing.”

About 80,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Europe. The Pentagon is required to keep at least 76,000 troops and major equipment on the continent unless NATO allies are consulted and there is a determination that such a withdrawal is in U.S. interests.

The withdrawal of 5,000 troops might drop numbers below that limit.

But Trump's latest post suggests that troop numbers in Europe would not change. Polish Foreign Minister Radek Sikorski welcomed the decision to send more forces to his country, saying it ensures that “the presence of American troops in Poland will be maintained more or less at previous levels.”

NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte also welcomed the move. On Thursday, before Trump took to Truth Social again, Rutte had underlined that it was important for Europe to take care of its own security. “We have a process in place. This is normal business,” he told reporters.

At NATO headquarters in Brussels, meanwhile, U.S. officials briefed the allies on the Pentagon's aims for its commitments to the NATO Force Model, which involves contingency planning for Europe’s defense in the event of serious security concerns. It was widely expected that a further reduction of U.S. forces would be coming.

Asked whether any cuts were announced, Rutte said: “I’m afraid it’s much more complicated than that.” He said the procedure “is highly classified” and declined to give details.

Rubio played down concerns about a shift in U.S. force levels in Europe, saying: "Every country has to constantly reevaluate what their needs are, what their commitments are around the world, and how to properly structure that.”

Cook reported from Brussels. Associated Press writer Emma Burrows in London contributed.

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks with journalists during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, front second left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, front left, speak with each other during a group photo at a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte look at each other as they deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braže speaks at the doorstep of the NATO foreign ministers' meeting at Sea U in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

United States Secretary of State Marco Rubio, left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte deliver a statement during a meeting of NATO foreign ministers in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Secretary of State Marco Rubio arrives with his wife Jeanette at Malmo Airport, Friday, May 22, 2026, in Malmo-Sturup, Sweden, ahead of a NATO foreign ministers meeting. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson, Pool)

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, second from left, shakes hands with Prime Minister of Sweden Ulf Kristersson, as he is greeted by King Carl Gustaf of Sweden, Queen Silvia of Sweden and Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden Maria Malmer Stenergard, right, before a dinner at Sofiero Castle in Helsingborg, Sweden, Thursday May 21 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)

Swedish Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard speaks to media at the NATO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Helsingborg, Sweden, Friday, May 22, 2026. (Johan Nilsson/TT News Agency via AP)