New Delhi: National Disaster Management Authority in partnership with Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) is organizing a two-day brainstorming meeting on the assessment and management of glacial risks, particularly glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
GLOFs refer to the sudden discharge of a water reservoir that has formed either underneath, at the side, in front, within, or on the surface of a glacier. As was evident during the 2013 Kedarnath disaster, the resulting impacts on communities and infrastructure can be catastrophic.
Glaciers and permafrost environments are changing rapidly across the Indian Himalayan Region, giving rise to threats such as GLOFs. The region is particularly sensitive to changes in global climate, and with residential, tourism and hydropower infrastructure expanding higher into alpine valleys, there is a clear need for the assessment and management of glacial hazards to be mainstreamed into major policies. Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh are the most vulnerable States to glacial hazards.
Welcoming the participants, Ms. Marylaure Crettaz, Head of Cooperation, SDC, outlined the background. She added that the purpose of this workshop was to bring all national and international experts on one platform.
“The fragile mountain ecosystem in the Indian Himalayan Region is under tremendous stress of climate change and land use degradation,” said Lt. Gen. N. C. Marwah (Retd.), Member, NDMA, while emphasising on coordinated and collaborative top-down approach amongst all stakeholders to deal with emerging risks.
Dr. Andrew Kos of Terrasense Switzerland Ltd. made a presentation on the web-based early warning alarm GLOF Hazard Management System that they have set up in Sikkim.
The technical sessions at the workshop established the context and priorities besides discussing specific case studies and experiences in managing glacial hazards from Central Asia, Caucasus and various Indian States.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Pradeep Kumar, Secretary, NDMA, informed that various stakeholder Central agencies are monitoring glacial lakes and water bodies in the Himalayan region but a lot of work is yet to be done in glacial risk management. He underlined the need for enhancing the capacity of State administration and local communities to adapt to the changing climatic regime.
Deliberations on Day 2 will lead to the identification of key messages and the way forward.
Members and senior officials of NDMA, representatives from the SDC, State Governments, national as well as international academic institutions and other stakeholders are participating in the workshop.
