Nepal to expand flood warnings, lower glacial lake levels

The Nepali government has unveiled plans to expand flood early warning systems across six major river basins and lower water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes to strengthen disaster preparedness amid growing climate-related risks in the Himalayan region, reported Xinhua.

The initiatives form part of a broader strategy to improve flood forecasting, reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and modernise weather forecasting using advanced technologies, according to separate documents issued by the Centre for Hydrology and Water Resources Research and the department of hydrology and meteorology.

The secretariat of Nepal’s energy, water resources and irrigation ministry said this in a press statement on Sunday.

The plans follow devastating floods on Aug 26 that claimed around 1,500 lives, while more than 5,000 people remain missing.

The floods also caused US$1.81 billion in physical damage, according to the Nepali government’s preliminary Rapid Damage and Needs Assessment (RDNA).

Rising temperatures have accelerated glacier melt in the Himalayas, raising concerns over glacial lake instability, avalanches and potentially destructive downstream floods.

Under the proposed Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Sanjeevani Project, the government plans to lower water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes: Thulagi in Manang district, Lower Barun in Sankhuwasabha district, and Lumding Tsho and Hongu-2 in Solukhumbu district.

The project is scheduled to run from 2026 to 2033, with an estimated budget of US$49.9 million.

The initiative builds on previous efforts to reduce risks at Tsho Rolpa in Dolakha district and Imja Lake in Solukhumbu district, where water levels were successfully lowered to mitigate the risk of GLOFs.

Meanwhile, the Centre for Hydrology and Water Resources Research plans to install flood early warning systems across six river basins under the Priority River Basins Flood Risk Management Project, which runs from 2022 to 2028 and has an investment of US$7.54 million.

The centre will also provide round-the-clock flood forecasting and early warning services from mid-May to mid-October, covering the country’s main monsoon season.

Separately, the department of hydrology and meteorology plans to prioritise artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-performance computing to improve the accuracy and reliability of weather forecasts.

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