After suffering significant loss of life from severe flooding in August, Nepal has initiated a project to lower water levels in four glacial lakes in the Himalayas to prevent further disasters.
According to Indian media outlet Bhaskar English, the Nepalese government has recently selected four lakes for the water level reduction project: Tulagi Lake in the Manang region, Lower Barun and Hongu-2 lakes in Sankhuwasabha, and Ruming Lake in Solukhumbu.
These lakes are situated at altitudes ranging from 4,050 to 5,483 meters. They are at high risk of causing large-scale flooding if the water levels rise due to melting glaciers or if natural barriers blocking the lakes collapse. The Nepalese government chose these lakes based on the potential damage expected from a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). The plan is to lower the water level of Hongu-2 Lake by 1 meter and the other three lakes by 3 meters each. To achieve this, the government will install drainage channels and control gates, along with technical measures to minimize risks during construction. Nepal has previously undertaken similar projects, including lowering the water level of Imja Lake in the Everest region by 3.4 meters.
Among the four targeted lakes, Lower Barun, Ruming, and Hongu-2 are part of the Koshi River basin, while Tulagi Lake is in the Gandaki River basin. Both rivers flow into Bihar, India, and this project is expected to help protect villages, farmland, and roads in downstream areas of India from flooding.
However, the harsh climate in the high-altitude region makes construction difficult for five to six months each year, so the project is expected to be completed by 2033. The total cost is estimated at approximately 4.74 billion Nepalese rupees (about $31 million), funded by the United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) and the Nepalese government.
The urgency of addressing the risks posed by glacial lakes has increased following the catastrophic flooding that occurred on August 26 in the Himalayan region bordering China. The floods, triggered by glacial collapse, resulted in over 8,000 deaths or disappearances across both countries, with more than 7,000 buildings damaged and approximately 32,000 residents displaced in Nepal alone.
Experts have pointed to climate change as a contributing factor to the melting of Himalayan glaciers. The sudden release of water from glacial lakes, known as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), is considered one of the major disaster risks in the Himalayan region. A report published in 2020 by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) identified 47 glacial lakes in India, Nepal, and China as being at high risk of collapse, with 25 in China, 21 in Nepal, and 1 in India.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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