ADRC Online DRR Seminar Series
Fourth Seminar

28 September 2021(Tue.)
16:00 - 17:30[Japan Time, UTC+9]

GLOF impact to the local economy and measures
Building Societies Resilient to the Intensifying Climate Crisisand Increasing Urban Vulnerability
Objectives
In order to support member countries in implementing the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction(SFDRR) and the SDGs, and to contribute to building a safe, secure and livable society, ADRC incollaboration with other relevant agencies is organizing a series of DRR online seminar.
The fourth DRR seminar focus the increasing risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF), and measuresagainst GLOF.
Topics are as follows;- Glacial lake and glacial lake outburst floods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya- GLOF risk reduction in the Himalayas

Dr. Mandira Singh Shrestha

Programme Coordinator
Climate Services, Mountain Environment
Regional Information System (MENRIS),ICIMOD

Register

https://bit.ly/adrcseminar4

YouTubehttps://youtu.be/LJjofzAEH6Q

https://acdr.adrc.asia/home/2021Seminar

Ms. Finu Shrestha

Remote Sensing and Geo-information Analyst
Geospatial Solutions,ICIMODADRC Online DRR Seminar Secretariatdrr2021seminar@adrc.asia

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Agenda

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16：05
16 00

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16 35

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17：25
17 05

Opening
Glacial lake and glacial lake outburst floods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Ms. Finu Shrestha, Remote Sensing and Geo-information Analyst,
Geospatial Solutions, ICIMOD
GLOF risk reduction in the Himalayas
Dr. Mandira Singh Shrestha, Programme Coordinator, Climate Services,
Mountain Environment Regional Information System (MENRIS), ICIMOD
Discussions
Closing
Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaaki, Executive Director, Asian Disaster Reduction
Center, Kobe, Japan

https://youtu.be/-CcejyLA81c

ADRC Online
DRR Seminar
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Summary
Recognizing that sudden Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) would cause enormous damage tosettlements and infrastructure located downstream of Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, ADRC
invited two experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) toshare knowledge, experience, and programs about GLOF to the 88 participants of the 4th DRR
Seminar series held on 28 September 2021.
At the opening, Mr. ARAKIDA Masaru (Director of Research Department at ADRC, and moderator ofthe session) mentioned three focused questions that would be covered in the discussions: Is thenumber of GLOF events increasing due to climate change? How does GLOF impact the local
economy? What are the disaster risk reduction measures for GLOF?
Giving an overview of GLOF and the efforts to understand its risks, Ms. Finu Shrestha (Analyst,Remote Sensing and Geo-information Geospatial Solutions, ICIMOD) presented some researchfindings using remote sensing techniques: (1) based on its 2018 inventory, ICIMOD recorded a totalof 25,614 glacial lakes in five major river basins of HKH; (2) of this total, 47 are potentially dangerous
glacial lakes (PDGLs) that are situated in the three major river basins of Nepal; (3) mass movement
and glacier calving are the main factors for dam failure in the Eastern and Central Himalaya; (4)temperature and extreme rainfall cause GLOF in the region; and (5) the frequency distribution ofGLOF events in the last 4 decades varies every decade, making it difficult to predict its occurrence.
Based on these findings, Ms. Finu Shrestha indicated that, as a pre-disaster mitigation measure, it isessential to identify the potentially dangerous glacial lakes and do a regular monitoring either by
remote sensing or by field investigation. If the lake is of high risk, installation of ground-based radar
sensor to measure the water level close to the lake should be done along with the early warning
system installed near the river valley to give timely warning signal to communities downstream.
In the next presentation, Dr. Mandira Singh Shrestha (Programme Coordinator, Climate Services,
Mountain Environment Regional Information System, ICIMOD) explained why it is essential todevelop a comprehensive risk reduction strategy for GLOF, which includes structural and nonstructural measures. She began by citing recent examples of GLOF and its impacts, including: theJune 2021 GLOF in Melamchi, Nepal; the July 2015 GLOF in Lemthang Tsho, Bhutan; and the May
2020 GLOF in Hunza Valley, Pakistan. Each of these events damaged bridges, roads, andsettlements as well as impacted livelihoods and local economy. Based on the lessons from theseGLOF experiences, Dr. Shrestha stressed the importance of integrating risk assessment, risk
analysis, and risk mitigation in the risk reduction strategy. For instance, using Earth Observation for
hazard assessment and monitoring could improve understanding of the risk of GLOF and inform
appropriate structural (e.g., lowering of the lake level to reduce the threat of GLOFs like thosehttps://youtu.be/-CcejyLA81c

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DRR Seminar
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Summary
implemented in Nepal and Bhutan) and non-structural (e.g., establishment of early warning systemsand systematic monitoring of the lakes to provide timely warning to the infrastructure and thecommunities living downstream) measures. In responding to the question why GLOF cannot bepredicted, Dr. Shrestha said that there are many dynamic factors that could trigger GLOF such as
earthquake, avalanche, and global warming. Additionally, it is the high-altitude areas of the region
that are highly vulnerable GLOF due to climate change and variability. So, while it is difficult topredict the occurrence of GLOF, systematic and continuous monitoring of mountainous environments
could offer robust knowledge and could strengthen the capacity for early warning. In view of this,
there is a growing need to integrate GLOF risk reduction strategies into national policies andprogrammes to save lives and property as well as build climate resilience.
Finally, Mr. NAKAGAWA Masaaki (Executive Director, ADRC) during his closing remarks mentionedthat based on the recent IPCC report, the pace of climate change has been progressing faster thanexpected. This means that risks from climate-related hazards such as GLOF could be furtherintensified. Therefore, in addition to developing a comprehensive risk reduction strategy, it isimportant to reframe the disaster risk management (DRM) approach by focusing not just on single
hazard at a time but multi-hazards. In other words, there is a need to review the entire DRM systemvis-à-vis climate change projections.

https://youtu.be/-CcejyLA81c