impact in nepa

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Seti flood

The government has said that rainfall, along with a land mass slip in Machhapuchhre VDC,Kaski district, triggered an unexpected flooding in the Seti river on Saturday morning.

The flash flood took place at around 9:55am. The latest information is that the volume of waterin the river is receding, said Shankar Prasad Koirala, spokesperson for the Home Ministry. The

government wants to inform concerned locals that the situation is improving now.

Experts say the region is vulnerable to glacial hazards such as an avalanche, glacial lake outburstfloods (GLOF), and debris flow, affecting millions of people downstream.

The Annapurna range, where the Seti originates, is extremely prone to avalanches particularlyfrom March to mid-June, said Om Ratna Bajracharya, joint-secretary at the Department ofHydrology and Meteorology. Due to the geographical condition and the gorge type structure,

the region is highly vulnerable to avalanches, he said.

An avalanchethe mass of snow, ice and rock that falls down the side of a mountainiscommon high up in the Himalayan region. Cases of avalanches remaining for about

two weeks or even an entire season blocking the river flow have been reported, said MandiraShrestha, water specialist at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.

Arun Bhakta Shrestha, climate change specialist at ICIMOD, said that in the event of a blockadeof water upstream by an avalanche, the volume of water decreases significantly downstream.

When the avalanche can no longer hold water, a flood of boulders, debris and mud, among

others, causes flash floods downstream, he said. The volume of water in the Seti had decreasedbefore the river was swollen all of a sudden on Saturday.

According to Arun Shrestha, preliminary reports and the nature of flooding negate the chances ofthe incident being a glacial outburst. No study suggests the existence of big glacial lakes in theregion that could cause this level of flooding.

A 2010 ICIMOD study on glacial outburst risk assessment reports six glacial lakes in the Setibasin. Out of the 338 glacial lakes identified in and around the Gandaki River Basin, whichincludes the Seti, four are listed as potentially dangerous.

Experts have stressed that a field study is necessary for finding out more about the incident. Weneesd to enhance awareness on similar disasters among the communities and improve theircapacity to react to such disasters particularly in vulnerable mountain communities, Shresthasaid. Access to locally available equipment to deal with disasters, establishment of shelters andempowerment of local disaster management committees or agencies are among things necessaryto deal with disasters.

This is a lesson. We need to work together for effective preparedness and relief


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packages in the aftermath of a disaster, said Shrestha.

Scientific evidences show a GLOF occurred on the Seti Khola about 450 years ago when aglacial lake located behind Mt Machapuchhre burst out in a seismic activity

Fourteen persons have been reported to be killed and over 50 others have gone missing in SetiRiver flood triggered by avalanche in Machhapuchre mountain on Saturday morning. Three ofthe missing are Russian tourists.

Police informed that mutilated bodies of 14 people have been found while three others wererescued alive. The flood has also swept about half a dozens of settlement area.

The massive flood swept away five trucks, bridges, dozen houses, trees and encroachedagricultural fields. Two buses carrying students for a picnic at Khaarapani have also been sweptaway by the flood. Two students are also missing in the flood.

Prime Minister Baburam Bhattarai has directed to take every measures in the rescue of thosemissing in the flood. Nepal Army personnel and Nepal Police have reached the incident site forthe relief.

Meanwhile, experts on glacial lake and glacier have clarified that the Machhapuchre mountainavalanche was not caused by glacier explosion.

Speaking to eKantipur, glacial lake and glacier expert Pradeep Kumar Mul, who has beenassociated with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), saidthat it could only be a avalanche. It is not a glacier explosion, said Mul. As the debris havetrees and plants, it could only be a landslide of snow and mud," he added.

okharas geo-physical formation provides a unique scenic beauty. At the same time, it is also asource of vulnerability to various natural disasters. The clear view of the Himalayas, especiallyAnnapurna, at a relatively close range has been possible because of an abrupt rise of a mountainin the north and absence of a mountain in between the valley and the Himalayan range. Thisabrupt rise of the mountain is also a cause of various slope failures leading to landslides and theirother consequences. The impact of the disturbances in the Himalayas or high mountains in thenorth comes directly to Pokhara through the Seti and Mardi rivers. Generally, both the commonpeople and development planners look for opportunities to capitalise on the natural beautywithout any regard to vulnerabilities. The recent flash flood of the Seti river has raised someconcerns, but, like in the past, it will soon be forgotten.

Understanding the recent problem of floods in the Seti river requires an insight into its geologicalformation. This formation has been an interesting research theme for geologists and geo-morphologists. Glacial lake outburst floods are considered the basic reason for the presentphysical nature of Pokhara valley, and Seti and Mardi rivers are important links between theAnnapurna Himalayas and Pokhara. The moraine brought by such floods from time to time hashelped in filling the valley, blocking the rivers, and in the formation of depressed areas wherewater was collected, resulting in lakes. It is not only glacial lake outbursts, but also other


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landslides, which hasve contributed debris to Pokharas soil profile. Moraine and debris weredeposited in different locations in different periods, and depending on the type of moraine ordebris, some locations within Pokhara have concrete-like soil structure and some locations havesoft soils prone to depression during the rainy season. Understanding this geological formation isimportant for the construction of infrastructures. But sadly, no attention has been paid to this.

Buildings are constructed in a very haphazard manner without considering this geological reality.Physical infrastructures built on soft soils are highly vulnerable to earthquakes also. Therefore,building norms need to be tailored according to the location specificities of the valley.

Last weeks catastrophe in the Pokhara area resulted from the landslide caused by a slope failurenear Macchapuchre, which led to damming of the Seti river and consequently the flood. But, thisis not an entirely new phenomenon. Natural disasters of this type have been taking place not onlyin the distant past, but also in the recent past. On the other hand, landslides of a smallermagnitude have occurred frequently. In

fact, the present problem is also a result of a general type of landslide, but this time, it happened

along the Seti river, leading to its damming. Another recent example is of Kali Gandaki whichwas dammed near Tatopani, but timely intervention prevented the disaster. One can still see theremnants of this dam.

During the 1990s, I walked along the Seti river valley several times, where last weeks natural

disaster took several lives and damaged property worth millions. Until the early 1990s, therewas no house/settlement near the hot water spring in Khara, which was swept away by therecent flood. It is one of the main spots severely damaged by the flood. In fact, all the settlementswere located at some height from the river surface. This was a kind of insurance against suchdisasters. Older people interviewed at that time had memory of various landslides, riverdamming in Seti river by boulders, drift wood and other debris. In the early 1990s, there was asimilar problem, but of smaller magnitude. This problem was more concentrated in villages likeKaruwa and Kapuche, which are the uppermost villages in the Seti river valley, with less severeconsequences on the down-stream. The government had implemented some relief programmesthen and I still remember the complaints made by people that the relief activities like distributionof food and clothes was done mainly downstream even though the problem was more severeupstream.

Several villages in the Mardi-Seti river valleys show various signs that they were once run overby landslides caused by slope failure. Some of the villages show scars of floods created either byglacial lake outbursts or other causes. This calls for a consideration that needs to be given whiledeveloping settlements. Generally, landslides which have become stable for some time look as ifno disaster has taken place. This gives a false impression. Recent settlements have beendeveloped in such locations. Taking the example of Karuwa-Kapuche village in the upper streamof Seti river, I could see various signs that indicated that it was once run over by huge floods. Afriend of mine doing research in the Sikha area of Mygdi village in the late 1990s used to tell methat recent houses actually sit on gentle slope developed due to landslide in a hill. This clearlyindicates that settlements are developed to cater to a growing population without regard togeological formation of such sites.


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A transition in our knowledge system has also impacted our ability to cope with such disasters.Many new interventions like settlement development have taken place without due considerationto traditional wisdom and know-how and local history. On the other hand, we are also not ableto use the modern scientific knowledge for our practical purposes. The adverse impact of suchnatural disasters has in fact increased exactly because of this transitional nature of our society.

Taking the example of the recent Seti floods, settlements were developed without regard totraditional wisdom. There was also no modern scientific system to monitor and early warn thepeople. A simple attention to local environment history can help save us from suchdisasters. But attemI. Background:

A landslide near Machhapuchhre Mountain in Kaski district triggered a catastrophic flash floodin Seti River, sweeping settlements and breaching the river banks downstream on 05 May 2012at around 0930 hrs.

Kharapani settlement (also known as Tatopani) in Sardikhola Village Development Committee(VDC) and Sadal village in Machhapuchhre VDC are worst hit by the powerful outburst. As of

1800 hrs today, total 26 bodies have been recovered and there is no additional missinginformation except for those 44 persons.

Most of the deceased are pilgrims, people picnicking, locals, tourists and laborers working onsand/stone quarry in the river bank. The bad hit area of Kharapani is some 40 km north fromPokhara valley and Sadal village is further two and half hours walking distance from there.

II. Situation Overview:

Total of 20 houses, two temples, one community building have been completely swept away bythe flooding.

Half of a kilometer of the road section, two suspension bridges, water supply system to thePokhara valley (which supplies around 60 percent of water supply in the valley) and electricpoles have been damaged. It was observed today that another water supply system whichsupplies around 20 percent of water for the valley is also partially damaged by the flooding. Ifthis system collapses, there will be shortage of water supply by 80 percent in the Pokhara city.The flood affected families in the major two sites in Kaski district are comparatively less thannon local residents especially visitors, pilgrims, students having picnic, labors etc. DistrictDisaster Relief Committee (DDRC) and Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) have already providedthe immediate cash and NFI support to the flood affected families and the families of thedeceased.

DDRC is taking the lead of all rescue/relief and recovery of dead body initiatives in the districtwhich is amazing here. The security forces (Nepal Army, Nepal Police and Armed Police Force)are doing their job very well in coordinated manner. All other humanitarian partners are also wellcoordinated for which OCHA and UN Field Coordination Office along with other UN agenciesare providing their coordination support to the DDRC. A team led by DDRC went to the affectedarea this morning to have a rapid assessment as well as damage assessment. Representatives ofgovernment Agencies (District Administration Office, District Development Committee, District


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Education Office, Nepal Army, Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, District Livestock Office,District Technical Office), Nepal Red Cross Society, UN Agencies (OCHA, UN FieldCoordination Office, UNICEF, WFP, WHO) and OXFAM participated in the assessment. TheDDRC is going to meet tomorrow afternoon and all the outcome of todays assessment will beshared during the DDRC meeting tomorrow.

pts to grasp the local history are not done simply because this is not considered modern.Kosi basin turning into a desert after the massive breach in the river embankment in August 2008.

Sharad Yadav seeks higher relief for flood-hit BiharNew Delhi,December 22, 2008 (PTI): Janata Dal (United) President Sharad Yadav onMonday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to demand a special package for the flood-hit people of NorthBihar.In his memorandum to the Prime Minister, he demanded immediate release of Calamity Relief Funds to thestate and adequate assistance for building of houses damaged by flood waters of river Kosi during the recentfloods.

Interactive session on Kosi floods

PATNA, December 18, 2008 :An interactive session on "Kosi Breach and Beyond" on Wednesdaydiscussed the aftermath of the devastations wreaked by the river. "During the last 45 years, Kosiembankments were breached eight times and the breach in Kusha would not be the last," said flood expertDinesh Mishra. He pointed out that due to siltation and rise in the level of the river bed, the governmentwould no longer be in a position to plug the breaches. "However, for the time being there is no alternative butto plug the breach and maintain the status quo," he stressed.

Bihar, Deceber 12, 2008:Bihar Government made a strong pitch before the 13th Finance Commission forRs 4.18 lakh crore for all-round development of the state. The government representatives made apresentation before a delegation of Finance Commission, headed by its chairman Vijay Kelkar.

MP Pappu Yadav gives Rs 4 crores for floods from Tihar jailNEW DELHI, 20 Nov 2008: The jailed Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) MP Pappu Yadav, who shelled out Rs 4crores from his parliamentarian fund when others like BJP's L.K.Advani and Cogress's Rahul Gandhi gave nothing. Pappu Yadav, who is in Tihar Jail for murder, wasresponding to an appeal by Lok Sabha Speaker Somnath Chatterjee andRajya Sabha Chairman Hamid Ansari on Sep 3 asking MPs to contribute Rs 1 million each from theMPLADStowards relief and rehabilitation in flood-hit Bihar.Under the scheme, each MP has Rs 20 million to spend on developments works in the constituency every


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year.Chatterjee and Ansari also appealed to MPs to donate one month's salary for the cause. The Janata Dal-United's (JD-U) Rajya Sabha MP from Bihar Mahendra Prasad is the second highest contributor with Rs 20million.According to the list published on the parliament website, 153 of the 543 members of the Lok Sabha

responded positively to the call for help, less than one- third of the total strength of the house. The Rajya

Sabha fared better with more than half the members-147 of 250, contributing money from their funds.New Delhi, November 15, 2008 (IANS):Art has brought Rs.40 million for flood victims of Bihar. Thirty-oneleading contemporary artists brought together by Subodh Gupta and Bharati Kher have raised more thanRs.39.3 million through the Artists Flood Relief Charity Auction held Nov 11-12 by Saffronart.New Delhi, October 20, 2008 (PTI): India and Nepal have decided to extend embankments on four rivers

which flow into the country in the wake of devastation caused by Kosi river, the Lok Sabha was informed onMonday.The two countries are working together to extend embankments on Lal Bakeya, Bagmati, Kamlaand Khando rivers in Nepal.New Delhi, October 19, 2008 (PTI): Engineers from public and private sectors would work together to meeta tight deadline of five months to plug the breaches in the embankment of Kosi river which unleashed theworstever floods in Bihar's history.The work is likely to begin in November with a deadline to complete the 'mission' by the end of March,

2009. The entire project is likely to cost around Rs 700 crore with theCentre bearing entire cost.New Delhi, September 28, 2008 (PTI): Senior officials of India and Nepal will meet in Kathmandu tomorrow

to look at long-term solutions to the recurring problem besides exploring ways to better utilise the commonriver waters. The Joint Committee on Water Resources, which last met four years ago, will discuss variousissues, including project reports on two upcoming dams in Nepal and means to control floods.

KATHMANDU, September 25, 2008: Due to India's failure to maintain the Kosi embankment that resultedin a devastating flood last month in southern Nepal and India's Bihar state, the Nepal republic is now blamingIndia for a fresh deluge in the western region that has killed over 30 and rendered thousands homeless.Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Bam Dev Gautam, told the media that the havoc was caused by the Indianauthorities' refusal to open the gates of the Kailashpuri barrage.

New Delhi, September, 22, 2008 (PTI): The recent floods in Kosi river and several irrigation and hydelpower projects pending at various stages would be discussed between India and Nepal at the maidenmeeting of Joint Committee on Water Resources at Kathmandu next week. The Joint Committee, which last

met in 2004, was reactivated during the recent visit of Nepalese Prime Minister Prachanda.September 08, 2008:

Hundreds of thousands of Indian flood refugees are likely to spend six months in state-run relief campswhile authorities rebuild homes, roads and embankments in the flood- ravaged north, officials said Monday.More than 257,000 people have taken shelter in 313 state-run camps in Bihar state, where the Kosi Riverburst its banks last month and turned hundreds of square miles of land into a giant lake. The state's CM.Nitish Kumar, said the relief camps would run for another six months.


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One year after the Kusaha breachAugust 25, 2009: There was no end to the miseries ofpeople in the Kosi Basin as the river used to change itscourse. It is a vibrant river and used to inflict immenselosses in the districts of Purnea and Saharsa. All that is

history now. On August 18, 2008, when the Kosibreached its eastern afflux bundh at Kusaha in Nepal,the floodwaters engulfed 35 blocks and 993 villagesspread over five districts. Nearly 3.3 million people and3.68 lakh hectares were trapped in floods; 2.34 lakhhouses were destroyed and 527 persons died in thedisaster. This was the eighth incident of its kind in thepast 45 years. There is noreason for people to be complacent about the coverprovided by the Kosi embankment, as the threat of abreach continues to loom large. In a similar incident onthe Kosis eastern embankment in 1984, the river wipedout 11villages in Navhatta block of Saharsa district andengulfed 196 villages in seven blocks of Saharsa andSupaul districts of north Bihar. The floodwaters spreadover 67,000 hectares and 4.58 lakh people wererendered homeless. They sheltered on the remainingportion of the embankment for more than six months.

The Kusaha breach was plugged in the month ofMay this year at an estimated cost of Rs 143.42crore, approved by the Centre, which sanctionedRs 1,010 crore for emergency relief after thebreach was declared a national calamity onAugust 28,2008. The state government reportedly mobilisedan equal amount for relief and many NGOs didtheir own bit. Despite all these inputs, the stateneeds another Rs 14,800 crore to bring back thevictims and the state economy on the rails. Itis time to do the sums on the benefits of the KosiProject.

India, Nepal discuss Kosi havoc, agree for 24-hr monitoringKathmandu, July 12, 2009 (PTI): Concerned over the havoc caused by the

Kosi river floods, Nepal and India have agreed to take effective measures tominimise damage on both sides of the border.Indian Union Minister for Water Resources Pawan Kumar Banshalyesterday called on Prime Minister Madhav Kumar Nepal to discuss the

issues relating to Kosi barrage, PM's Foreign Affairs Advisor Rajan Bhattaraisaid on Sunday.Patna, April 25, 2009: Kosi basin turning into a desert after the massive

breach in the river embankment in August 2008. The silver white colour ofthe sand in the vast area of the Kosi basin now is similar to that of the sandin Jaisalmer in Rajasthan.

The Kosi, known as River of Sorrow, had in August 2008 left Bihar withthe biggest ever flood disaster that spread over 3.68 lakh hectares of landbesides affecting about 33 lakh people. Lack ofcoodination among the various departments in the government has left therepair works far from completed.Madhepura (Bihar), February 28, 2009: The Bihar government has taken

a vow to turn the flood-ravaged Kosi region into a prosperous zone, ChiefMinister Nitish Kumar said on Saturday. The fields of farmers whose fertileland had been filled with sand would be adequately compensated and effortwould be made to remove the sand from their fields, Kumar told a gatheringhere.New Delhi, February 24, 2009 (PTI): The breach in river Kosi, which had

resulted in a devastating flood in Bihar last year, has been repaired and theriver is now flowing along its original course, Rajya Sabha was informed onTuesday. "The breach section has been closed and the barrage is raisedupto a level of 82.50 meter in the first phase work on February 16 this year,"Union Minister of State for Water Resources Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav

A tribute to the victims of

Kosi river on the day ofDiwali. At the timeof celebrating happy Diwalithis year on 28th Oct.2008, the calamity of riverKosi has been virtuallyignored by Govt., people,most internationalhumanitarian aid agencies,and even national relieforganisations. Its untamedwaters swept away morethan 300,000 houses in 980villages in the districts ofBihar. It destroyed standingcrops of paddy, wheat andvegetables in 110,000hectares of fertile land.


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said in a written reply.Kathmandu, January 27, 2009 (PTI): Saptakosi river, which broke its

embankment in Nepal last year and displaced millions of people in the Teraiplains and the Indian state of Bihar, has been put back on its original courseafter combined efforts of engineers from the two neighbouring countries,officials said on Tuesday. The Saptakosi river in eastern Nepal near the

Indian border has been put back on its original course after repair works inthe cofferdams has been completed, according to Water Resources Ministryofficials here. India and Nepal came together to complete the work ofrepairing the embankment of Kosi river, which breached and triggeredmassive floods in the bordering areas of the two countries.PATNA, January 1, 2009: The state water resources department has given

administrative and financial approval to 316 anti-erosion and flood protectionschemes at an estimated cost of Rs 117 crore. This was stated by thedepartment's minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav. He said chief engineers havebeen instructed to ensure that the schemes are completed before the floodsnext year.Kosi flood victims protest in Bihar, demand more reliefPatna,December 29, 2008 (IANS): The flood-hit victims of Bihar Monday

blocked roads and railway lines to protest against the inadequate assistanceprovided by the state government to them. Thousands of victims from thedistricts of Saharsa, Madhepura and Supaul disrupted normal life at differentplaces. They were reportedly led by the Communist Party of India - Marxist(CPI-M)."Thousands of flood victims have blocked national highways in Saharsa andrailways in Supaul. This has badly hit normal life," official sources said.More than three million people were rendered homeless in Bihar when theKosi river breached its bank upstream in Nepal and changed course Aug 18.Large tracts of land were flooded, forcing people to flee their homes.They were then forced to live along the roads under the open sky withoutfood, clothes and drinking water or in the relief camps set up by the stategovernment.

Kosi River ( )The Kosi River ( ) is one of the largest

tributaries of theGanga River . Kosi river is calledKoshi in Nepal and is a Tran boundary river betweenNepal and India. The river basin is surrounded bythe ridges separating it from the Brahmaputra in thenorth, the Gandaki in the west, the Mahananda in theeast, and by the Ganga in the south. Kaml, Bghmati(Kareh) and Budhi Gandak are major tributaries ofKoshi in India, besides minor tributaries like BhutahiBaln. Over the last 250 years, the Kosi River hasshifted its course over 120 kilometres from east towest. The Kosi River (The Sorrow of Bihar) is one oftwo major tributaries, the other river being Gandak,draining the plains of north Bihar, the most flood-pronearea of India. This river is mentioned in the epicMahabharata as Kauiki.

The Kosi River ( ) is one of the largest

tributaries of theGanga River .

The Kosi river has seven major tributaries. These tributaries encircle Mt Everest from all sides andare fed by the world's highest glaciers. After descends from the mountains they merge and calledsimply the Koshi. After flowing 58 km in Nepal, it enters the north Bihar plains near Bhimnagar andafter another 260 km , flows into the Ganges near Kursela. The river travels a distance of 729 km
http://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htmhttp://www.gits4u.com/water/ganga.htm


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from its source to the confluence with the Ganga.The Kosi river fan located in northeast Bihar and eastern Mithila is 180 km long and 150 km -wide

alluvial cone shows evidence of lateral channel shifting exceeding 120 km during the past 250 yearsthrough more than 12 distinct channels. The river, which used to flow near Purnea in the 18thcentury, now flows west of Saharsa.

Two famous national parks are located in the Koshi river basin: the Sagarmatha National Park, in

eastern Nepal and the Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve situated in Eastern Nepal. Sagarmatha Nationalpark is located in eastern Nepal is also included as a UNESCO world heritage site, was created on

July 19, 1976.

Kosi River- The Sorrow of BiharThe Kosi is known as the Sorrow of Bihar when it flows

from Nepal to India, as it has caused widespread humansuffering in the past through flooding and very frequentchanges in course. The Kosi Barrage has been designed fora peak flood of 27,014 m/sKosi Barrage, also called Bhimnagar Barrage after the name

of the place where it was built between the years 1959 and1963 straddles the Indo-Nepal border. It is an irrigation, flood

control and hydropower generation project on the Kosi riverbuilt under a bilateral agreement between Nepal and India:the entire cost of the project was borne by India. Thecatchment area of the river is 61,788 sq.km in Nepal at theBarrage site.

On August 18, 2008, the Kosi river picked up an oldchannel it had abandoned over 100 years ago near theborder with Nepal and India. Nearly 27 lakhs people werereported affected as the river broke its embankment atKusaha in Nepal, thus submerging several districts of Nepaland India.

The worst affected districts included Supaul, Araria,Saharsa,Madhepura, Purnia, Katihar, parts of Khagaria and

northern parts of Bhagalpur, as well as adjoing regions ofNepal. The floods caused by the breach in the eastern affluxembankment at upstream Kuaha village in Nepal on August18 is the worst in the region.

IAF helicopters and army columnsdeployed to assist the relief andevacuation operations.

The Kosi Barrage: The Dam built on theKosi river in Nepal has now become oldand ill maintained. So it has now becomeessential to build more bigger dam in Biharcompared to Nepal to prevent suchcalamity.

Over 30 lakh people in 16 districts are in the grip of floods, with 23 lakh in worst-hit Supaul, Saharsa,Madhepura and Araria districts alone. Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said five army columns have beenpressed into service for relief and rescue, while the state has requisitioned 25 more columns.Large areas remain totally submerged, with reports suggesting that some villages have simply been

washed away by strong currents. Tens of thousands of people have also been displaced inneighbouring Nepal, where some of those who have lost their homes are camping under plasticsheets.IAF helicopters and army columns deployed to assist the state government's flood fighting machinery

continued relief and evacuation operations. Though Disaster Management Additional SecretaryPratayaya Amrit said while over 4.75 lakh people have been evacuated, lakhs more were in dire needof being shifted to safer places. Amrit said about two lakh people were taking shelter in 17 relief campsset up by the state governments and many more being run by non-government organisations (NGOs).While Bihar's key political parties, Nitish Kumar-led ruling Janata Dal (United) and Lalu Prasad

Yadavs Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) - are at each others throat for the worst-everfloods in the state, experts say the fragile relations between India and Nepal are the root cause of thecatastrophe.

The damage to nearly 1,250 miles of highways and 250 road bridges was estimated around $523


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million. Already, hundreds of cases of pneumonia, diarrhea and high fevers have been reported in reliefcamps. Doctors started immunization drives over the weekend to counter fears that waterborne diseaseswill spread as the number of campresidents grow.

Due the current floods in Kosi river, the situation in Bihar is the worst witnessed for hundreds of years.People's dead bodies are floating in the water along with the corpses of cattle. People are forced to drink

that same water. Hundreds of thousands have become homeless.Survivors have taken shelter in government schools, colleges, railway stations and bus stands. But thereare still more than 500,000 people to be rescued. They are on the roofs of concrete buildings like schoolbuildings and other elevated places. They are crying in the wilderness.The entire affected area appears like a lake 125 km long by 25km wide. This used to be a prosperous

area of Bihar. Seven districts have been particularly badly affected with nearly 50-75% of Madhepuradistrict drowned completely and Supaul district also suffering. Whole towns and villages have drowned;railway stations, roads, bridges, government buildings, the entire administrative apparatus of places havebeen wiped out.Government engineers were digging a new channel to correct the course of the Kosi River which

flows from neighboring Nepal and plug the mile-long breach in embankment. They also have startedrepairing roads to allow faster movement of relief supplies in the region.Authorities have confirmed 42 deaths, but it is widely believed the final toll will be much higher. Rescue

workers have evacuated 914,000 people from nearly 1,000 flooded villages. But with river levels falling bymore than two feet over the last few days, more than 30,000 have returned to their homes - ignoringofficial warnings that their homes were still not safe. Another 50,000 people have refused to abandontheir homes in flood-hit areas despite pleas by authorities to evacuate.

About 300,000 homes were destroyed after the Kosi river, which originates in Nepal, burst adam last month and caused the worst floods in Bihar in 50 years. Officials said 22 bodies werefound as water receded in flood- hit Madhepura on September 11, raising the death toll from thefloods in Bihar to 130.The floods also forced nearly four million people from their homes and destroyed 100,000 ha

(250,000 acres) of farmlands, an official said. Tens of thousands of people are living ingovernment relief camps that aid agencies say lack adequate facilities. The state government isalso setting up temporary schools at relief camps for children living there.

Task Force chairman SC Jha criticised the bureaucrats in the Union water resources and financeministries. He said it would cost at least Rs 50,000 crore to rebuild the five affected districts as the Kosifury was worse than Tsunami, which had occurred in December 2004, as it has brought to naught all theinfrastructure in health, education and railways in the five districts.

International HelpOn September 17, 2008, UK announced a grant of one million pounds for the relief of those affected

by the Kosi river floods in Bihar. This is in addition to the 150,000 pounds announced earlier by the Britishgovernment.

Madhepura September 21, 2008 (PTI):Relief materials worth over Rs two lakh meant for distributionamong the flood victims of worst hit Madhepura district were lost when a country made boat carrying govt.officials and relief materials overturned near Mojama village in Kosi river, official sources said today.Kathmandu, Sept. 20, 2008 (ANI): Nepal's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said that Indian Army

personnel came with permission for the inspection of the damaged Kosi embankments. Clearing the

confusion after some political parties protested against their visit, the Ministry said that the visit of Indianarmy personnel was coordinated by the Nepal Government.September 18 , 2008:India and Nepal agreed to check recurrence of floods in Kosi river and putting on fast track projects to

utilise water for irrigation and power generation, top officials of the two neighbours will meet this month inKathmandu to streamline the process. The Joint Committee on Water Resources, which last met in 2004,will meet again in the Nepalese capital on September 29 and 30 to discuss various issues, includingproject reports on two upcoming dams in Nepal and means to control floods.

September 17 , 2008: India and Nepal today decided to establish a number of mechanisms, including aminister-level Joint River Committee, to avert such calamities in future. The two sides also decided to


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reactivate a secretary- level joint committee and set up eight technical committees which will be in regulartouch over various issues concerning sharing of common river waters.September 16, 2008:Multiplicity of authority and delay by bureaucrats at the Centre have hindering repair work of the

embankment on the Kosi river which has already caused losses worth Rs 50,000 crore in five districts ofBihar, the Special Task Force on Bihar, set up by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said.

elting glaciers threaten 'Nepal tsunami'

By Subel Bhandari (AFP)Aug 29, 2009

LUKLA, NepalOver two decades, Funuru Sherpa has watched the lake above his nativevillage of Dengboche in Nepal's Himalayas grow, as the glacier that feeds it melts.

The 29-year-old, who runs a busy Internet cafe for tourists visiting the Everest region,

remembers his grandfather telling him that 50 years ago the lake did not exist.

"Before, it was all ice," he told AFP in the eastern Himalayan town of Lukla, in the shadow ofMount Everest.

"This is proof that the glaciers in the high Himalayas are melting. And that must be because thetemperatures have gone up."

Scientists say the Imja Glacier above Dengboche is retreating by about 70 metres (230 feet) ayear, and the melting ice has formed a huge lake that could devastate villages downstream if itbursts.

The trend is not new. Nepal's International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD), which has studied the Himalayas for three decades, says many of the country'sglaciers have been retreating for centuries.

But ICIMOD glaciologist Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya said this was now happening at analarming speed, with temperatures in the Himalayas rising at a much faster rate than the globalaverage.

"Our studies of the past 30 years show that the temperatures (in the Himalayas) are rising up toeight times faster than the global average. Melting is taking place higher and faster," Bajracharya

told AFP.

"The melting of glaciers and formation of glacier lakes is a key indicator of the temperature rise.And lately, we have seen massive ice melt."

Nepal has more than 2,300 glacial lakes and experts say at least 20 are in danger of bursting.


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At almost one square kilometre (0.38 square miles), the Imja lake is the country's second biggest,estimated to hold 36 million cubic metres (47 million cubic yards) of water, and is considered thebiggest flood threat.

It is a subject close to the heart of Nepalese mountaineer Apa Sherpa, who has climbed Everest a

record 19 times.

In 1985 Apa Sherpa lost his house and farm when the Dig Tsho glacial lake burst, causing agiant wave to flow down the mountain.

Seven people were killed by the flood, which swept away bridges and houses and destroyed anew hydropower station.

"For me, climate change is personal," said the climber, who dedicated his latest Everestexpedition to raising awareness of the impact of climate change on mountain communities.

"There's probably no one who can relate to this issue in the way that I can."

Information about how many people would be affected by a glacial lake bursting remainslimited, but experts say the floodwaters could reach as far as Nepal's southern planes andbeyond.

Environment secretary Uday Raj Sharma said last week the bursting of the Imja lake would belike a "Nepalese tsunami," comparing it with the 2004 Indian Ocean disaster in which around220,000 people died.

The government has asked international donors for help in tackling the hazardous glacial lakes,

which will be discussed at regional talks here next week aimed at highlighting the dangersclimate change poses to the Himalayas.

But experts say there are no easy solutions.

The mountain communities most at risk are often reluctant to leave their homes, while drainingthe lakes is expensive and dangerous and does not always work.

Ten years ago Nepal launched a three-million-dollar project funded by the Dutch government tolower the water level in the country's biggest glacial lake, Tsho Rolpa, in the eastern Himalayas.

The lake had grown from 0.23 square kilometres in 1957 to 1.65 square kilometres in 1997 andthreatened villages and a major hydropower plant under construction downstream.

Engineers cut a channel 70 metres long and seven metres wide into the side of the lake andsuccessfully lowered the water level, reducing the risk of it bursting its banks.

But ICIMOD's Bajracharya said the project was expensive and had only reduced rather thaneliminated the risk of a flood.


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"We spent three million dollars without actually solving the problem," he said, calling on thegovernment to focus instead on creating awareness programmes and early warning systems forcommunities at risk.

Pasang Omo is a father of three who lives in the village of Shomare in the eastern Himalayas,

which experts say would likely be wiped out if the Imja lake burst.

He agrees that the government has not done enough to help the mountain communities most atrisk.

"Everyone comes to us and tell us a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood will sweep through ourvillages. But it doesn't do us any good," said Omo, 45, who works as a porter for trekkers.

"It?s like telling someone they are sick but not giving them a

Satellite images show the size of Lake Imja Tsho over 50 years growing to be one of the largest glacial

lakes

Ngozumpa Glacier (also Ngozumba) is a large debris covered valley glacier draining south from Cho Oyu

and Gyanchung Kang one valley west of the Khumbu valley. The lower kilometers of this glacier is

heavily debris covered, similar to theKhumbu Glacier andImja Glacier.
http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/khumbu-glacier-decay/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/khumbu-glacier-decay/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/khumbu-glacier-decay/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/imja-glacier-retreat-and-imja-tsho-lake-expansion-nepal/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/imja-glacier-retreat-and-imja-tsho-lake-expansion-nepal/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/imja-glacier-retreat-and-imja-tsho-lake-expansion-nepal/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/01/12/imja-glacier-retreat-and-imja-tsho-lake-expansion-nepal/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2009/12/09/khumbu-glacier-decay/


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Above image fromDoug Benn. From the terminus at 4700 meters to 4900 meters a distance of 8 kilomters the glacier is

increasingly riddled with supraglacial lakes (lakes on top of glacier) as this section downwastes. Velocity

in this reach is less than 5 meters/year, essentially stagnant. The snowline of the glacier has been at

nearly 6000 meters in recent years. On the following image the snowline (blue dots), accumulation areas

(A) and terminus blue arrow are indicated. It is evident that more than 50% of this glacier is debris
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covered. An

examination of Landsat imagery from 1992, 2000 and 2009 indicates the expansion of these lakes nearthe terminus. These lakes (S) in the 2010 (Goggle Earth imagery) are beginning to coalesce and look to

be creating a proglacial lake (lake at front of glacier) at the terminus of the glacier.Benn et al (2001)

examining the supraglacial lakes hypothesized that the glacier was close to forming a moraine dammed

proglacial lake. This is a scenario very similar to what has developed onMenlung Glacier, which is just
http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~dib2/research/ngozumpa.htmhttp://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~dib2/research/ngozumpa.htmhttp://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~dib2/research/ngozumpa.htmhttp://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/menlung-glacier-retreat-tibet-glacier-moraine-dammed-lake-expansion/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/menlung-glacier-retreat-tibet-glacier-moraine-dammed-lake-expansion/http://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/menlung-glacier-retreat-tibet-glacier-moraine-dammed-lake-expansion/http://glacierchange.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ngozumba-glacier-2009.jpghttp://glacierchange.wordpress.com/2011/06/18/menlung-glacier-retreat-tibet-glacier-moraine-dammed-lake-expansion/http://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/~dib2/research/ngozumpa.htm


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over the pass into Tibet from the Ngozumpa.

Further upglacier the

surface of the glacier is riven with more lakes amidst the debris covered relatively stagnant ice. Further

upglacier the thinning is evident in the expansion of a bedrock knob in the midst of the glacier (A), the

decrease in surface elevation compared to the lateral moraine-trimline (L) and the quite high

equilibirum line for 2009 (E). Strong thinning in the accumulation zone, though less than the ablationzone, of Khumbu Glacier was found byBolch et al(2011)
http://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/349/2011/tc-5-349-2011.pdfhttp://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/349/2011/tc-5-349-2011.pdfhttp://glacierchange.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ngozumba-terminus1.jpghttp://glacierchange.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ngozumba-glacier-1992.jpghttp://glacierchange.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ngozumba-terminus1.jpghttp://glacierchange.files.wordpress.com/2012/02/ngozumba-glacier-1992.jpghttp://www.the-cryosphere.net/5/349/2011/tc-5-349-2011.pdf


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Imja Glacier, Nepal - 1956. Fritz Mueller
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Imja Glacier, Nepal - 2006. Giovanni Kappenberger

Cimate Change, by far, is the biggest threat human-kind has ever faced since its emergence asthe dominant species on the earth. Ironically, a preponderance of scientific opinion suggests thatthis threat is, largely, human-induced. The rate-of-change of global temperature during pre-industrial era was minimal and rather slow, allowing all life-forms on the earth to adapt throughevolutionary process. On the contrary, the post-industrial saw a marked acceleration intemperature increase.

The Global average temperature, for example, rose by 0.74 degree Celsius in just 100 years ascompared to what it used to be in the pre-industrial state. Worse- most scientific projectionssuggest that global temperatures could rise between 1.1 degrees to 6.4 degrees Celsius above1990 levels by the end of this century depending on how much greenhouse gases we emit. Thiscould bring catastrophe of a scale unseen in human history. The mitigation of greenhouse gasemission, therefore, has slowly but steadily taken center-stage in the global political, social andscientific discourse. Yet, even an optimistic would admit that the vision to achieve optimumlevel of mitigation remains a long-shot. All forms of lives on earth, therefore, will have to learnto cope with this painful reality, unfortunately, for a long period of time. Needless to say, adaptation would remain the onlyrealistic option available to a large part of the humanity and ecosystems.

The Himalayas have already seen impacts of Climate Change going by both anecdotal andscientific evidence. It has aggravated glacier melt and retreat, landslides, Glacier Lake OutburstFloods (GLOF) and flash floods, events threatening the already fragile mountain ecosystems andlivelihoods. Nepal which is home to most of the highest Himalayan Peaks and, indeed, largestportion of the Himalayan land-mass, stands as one of the most vulnerable countries in SouthAsia. Much of the Himalayan region has been facing negative impacts of Climate Change for awhile now. Rising temperatures have been causing increase in rainfall intensity. Erratic weatherconditions have led to greater occurrence of landslides and flash floods in many areas. Otherareas complain of reduced water availability for agriculture, leading to drop in the yield of staplecrops. Animals like wild boars have started being seen in the higher elevation posing threat to the


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age-old natural ecosystems.

Some butterflyies species are feared lost. Mosquitoes are extending their habitat northwardsbringing hitherto unheard of diseases to the mountainous regions. Scenarios for Nepal projectaverage mean temperature increase of 1.2C to 3C by 2050 and 2100 (OECD 2003). Besides

impacting Bio-diversity negatively, Climate Change is likely to hit the poor people of Nepal thehardest over dependence on climate-sensitive natural resources, and low capacity to cope withclimate extremes

Tsho rolpa

Here is some information from a Dutch initiative to prevent flooding disaster in Nepal (March30, 1995). "At an elevation of 4600 meters, high above the villages in the Rolwaling Valley inNortheast Nepal, some 40 km from Mount Everest, lies Tsho Rolpa lake (2.6 km long, 0.5 kmwide, 132 m deep): a giant liquid time bomb of 70 million m3 of water."http://namche.net/ooo/bn-tsho-rolpa-b.html

So Tsho Rolpa lake is at 15,092 feet. Here is a gorgeous picture of the lake by Seth Sicroff:http://www.namche.net/bridges/tsho-rolpa-01.html

Tsho Rolpa Lake is formed by a glacial moraine that partially blocks the flow of meltwater fromthe glacier. Due to global warming, there is more meltwater these days than there used to be.Glacial moraines, "constructed" naturally from rubble and glacial till, don't make very strongdams. The danger is that the moraine dam will burst in a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)and inundate the villages downstream in the valley. Here are some good pictures of the hazardmitigation project:

http://rolwaling.tripod.com/2k/2k-tr-fix.html

I "discovered" this particular high lake just by reading a news story about its flood potential. Itwas not listed or claimed to be a very high lake at all. Probably there are other high lakes inNepal worthy of mention in this list before Lake Titicaca, but I don't know what they are.

Here is a view from the Apollo spacecraft of Ngangla Ringco in Tibet, site of the world's highestlarge island, at 15,510 feet (sent to me by Josh Calder):http://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/AS7/10074892.htmFrom that photo it should be obvious that there are many lakes in the Himalayas higher than15,000 feet. So I'll cut off the Himalayan lakes here and list other notable high lakes in other

parts of the world below.

h Mountain Glacial Watershed Program

Begins New Field Reconnaissance of

Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes in Nepal
http://namche.net/ooo/bn-tsho-rolpa-b.htmlhttp://namche.net/ooo/bn-tsho-rolpa-b.htmlhttp://www.namche.net/bridges/tsho-rolpa-01.htmlhttp://www.namche.net/bridges/tsho-rolpa-01.htmlhttp://rolwaling.tripod.com/2k/2k-tr-fix.htmlhttp://rolwaling.tripod.com/2k/2k-tr-fix.htmlhttp://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/AS7/10074892.htmhttp://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/AS7/10074892.htmhttp://www.apolloexplorer.co.uk/photo/html/AS7/10074892.htmhttp://rolwaling.tripod.com/2k/2k-tr-fix.htmlhttp://www.namche.net/bridges/tsho-rolpa-01.htmlhttp://namche.net/ooo/bn-tsho-rolpa-b.html


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May 2, 2012 | United StatesByDaene McKinney0 Comment

As temperatures have warmed over recent decades, the Nepal Himalayas have seen an increasingthreat of glacial lake outburst floods. Several lakes formed at the base of receding glaciers havebeen identified as exceptionally dangerous due to the unstable condition of their moraine damsthat hold back the glacial melt. Following on the September 2011 Andean-Asian Glacial LakeExpedition to Imja Lake, the High Mountain Glacial Watershed Program is returning to Nepalthis spring to complete their field reconnaissance of potentially dangerous lakes in Nepal(Thulagi Lake near Anapurna, Tam Pokhari and Dudh Pokhari Lakes in the Hinku Valley) and toconduct field surveys and meetings with local community leaders regarding the threat posed byImja Lake in the Imja Khola Valley.

The 2011 Imja Glacial Lake Expedition below the towering wall of Lhotse Shar (8386

m) (Daniel Byers).

To view all photos clickhere

As many of the larger glaciers have melted in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya (HKH) and Andes as aresult of climate change, hundreds of new glacier lakes, holding millions of cubic meters ofwater, have been created. Usually contained by dams of loose boulders and soil, these lakespresent a risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). GLOFs unleash stored lake water often
http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daenehttp://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daenehttp://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daenehttp://www.adaptationpartnership.org/gallery/september-2011-andean-asian-glacial-lake-expedition1http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/gallery/september-2011-andean-asian-glacial-lake-expedition1http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/gallery/september-2011-andean-asian-glacial-lake-expedition1http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daenehttp://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daenehttp://www.adaptationpartnership.org/gallery/september-2011-andean-asian-glacial-lake-expedition1http://www.adaptationpartnership.org/users/daene


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causing enormous devastation downstream that can include high death tolls as well as thedestruction of valuable farmland and costly infrastructure (e.g., hydroelectric facilities, roads,and bridges).

On the morning of 3 September, 1998 a GLOF started at 5:00 a.m. and continued for 20 hours in

a flood that was high and forceful enough to take out two of seven houses in the Tagnagsettlement, kill two people downstream in Waku and Pawai, destroy two critical bridges, andblock the Dudh Kosi River for two years.

During the 2011 Expedition, local people from the KACC pointed out a disturbing number ofpotential GLOF triggers that have gone unnoticed by scientists studying the region, including:new crevasses in the debris-covered terminal moraine, indicating the ice core nature of themoraine that may be undergoing rapid melting processes; the growth, merging, and expansion ofsmall meltwater ponds that could turn much of the remaining terminal moraine into a lake withinthe near future; water seepage at the exterior base of the terminal moraine that may indicatefurther instability; and, of course, the huge volume (35 million m3) of water contained within the

lake itself.

The High Mountain Glacial Watershed Program is embarking on a unique and excitingopportunity to work with the communities in the Khumbu region, provide important inputs to thedialog about the potential risk to downstream communities and infrastructure from Imja Lake,and discuss the alternatives for reducing vulnerabilities that may impact lives and livelihoods if aGLOF was to occur. Our team is at the center of this dialog and we are acting on thisopportunity to help the community shape the outcomes in a way that they desire. In thefollowing weeks we will be blogging from the field about our activities daily, providinginformation and a glimpse into the lives and concerns of the communities.

Local people voiced a strong objection to the numerous foreign and national researchers whohad been studying the Imja Lake for over 30 years, and who had never once shared theirinformation and results with the community. Consulting with the Khumbu Alpine ConservationCouncil at Imja Lake in September 2011 discussing the need for an action plan that wouldinclude priority, participatory research in its design so that both scientists and local people couldarrive at the best understanding of exactly what was happening to the lake, when it was likely tobe dangerous, and what the range of options for adapting and/or mitigating the potential threatsmight be. These options might include: (a) no action, accepting the risk of a possible GLOF atsome unknown point in the future; (b) relocating lodges and other structures to higher elevationsto avoid any potential flood damage; or (c) implementation of an engineering solution, such assiphoning or controlled drainage canals. Regardless of the option selected, the ultimate course ofaction must be based on the decisions of local communities and people, and not of governments,donors, or other external agencies.

This expedition is part of a larger effort that has been ongoing for some time and is stilldeveloping:

Establishing trust with the Khumbu Alpine Conservation Council over a 10+ year period(see Box below on KACC);


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Organizing the Asian-Andean Adapting to a World Without Glaciers workshop in 2009(Peru) to share experiences in managing glacial lakes between the two regions (see blog andproceedings). In July 2009, The Mountain Institute (TMI), in cooperation with the NationalScience Foundation, USAID, IRG, and other partners, convened an eight-dayAdapting to aWorld without Glaciers Realities, Challenges, and Actions workshop in Peru. Workshop

participants consisted of Peruvian researchers and policymakers, as well as internationalresearchers from other Andean countries, the United States, and Nepal. During the workshop,participants expressed keen interest in conducting a follow-on glacier conference in the HinduKush-Himalaya (HKH) region. The HKH conference would be designed to replicate and expandupon the Peruvian work in another glacial region of the world, resulting in importantcontributions to the growing body of knowledge related to climate change impacts whilepromoting South-South collaboration and exchange.

Blog:http://themountaininstitute.blogspot.com/search?updated-min=2009-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&updated-max=2010-01-01T00:00:00-05:00&max-results=13

Proceedings:

http://www.mountain.org/sites/default/files/attachments/15_feb_2010_final_english_version_1.pdf

Fielding the 2011 Andean-Asian Glacial Lake Expedition in Nepal to share experiencesin managing glacial lakes between the two regions (see blog and proceedings). The MountainInstitute and its partners held unique on-site workshop in Sagarmatha (Everest) National Parkduring September 2011, which convened more than 35 high altitude professionals from 15different countries. The Expedition was made up of physical and social scientists from theAndes, Hindu Kush-Himalaya, Central Asia, Japan, North America, and Europe, who spent 18days in a remote region of eastern Nepal. With the active participation of local peoplethe firsttime in the 30-year history of research at Imja Lakethey discovered what appeared to be new,potential triggers to a glacial lake outburst flood that had gone unnoticed by previousstudies. Ideas for new, practical solutions to the growing threat of GLOFs were discussed indetail, with an emphasis on the involvement of local people in all phases of future appliedresearch, risk assessments, and, ultimately, remedial solutions. Supporters of the Imja expeditionincluded the U.S. National Science Foundation, USAID, U.S. State Department, ArkayFoundation, and UNDP/Nepal.

Blog:http://www.mountain.org/blog/category/imja-lake-nepal-expedition-2011/ Proceedings:http://www.caee.utexas.edu/prof/mckinney/high-mountain-glacial-

water/FullProceedingsFinalEdited-2.pdf Expedition Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v31d1jNPipg

Estimating the threat posed by Imja Lakes growth over the past 40 years and workingwith local people to ensure that they understand the risk posed by the lake and are involved in thedialogue about alternatives to reduce it;

Working with engineers to implement solutions to this problem.

The Khumbu Alpine Conservation Council
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In 2004, The Mountain Institute (TMI) launched a project entitled Community-based Alpine

Conservation and Restoration of Mt. Everest Alpine Zone with the goal of protecting and

restoring the fragile alpine ecosystems of Sagarmatha National Park and Buffer Zone (SNPBZ).

As part of the project, the regions first local NGO, the Khumbu Alpine Conservation Council

(KACC), was formed with financial support from UNDP/SGP. KACC works to conserve and

restore fragile alpine ecosystems by strengthening local management and conservation

capacities. It has implemented this project in partnership with local Sherpa communities,

government agencies, non-government organizations (NGOs), international NGOs, donor

agencies, and the trekking and climbing communitiesho Rolpa is a glacier lake at the end of the

Rolwaling Valley. It is located in an altitude of about 4580m. The valley and the lake is not easy

to reach. It takes several days to get there, but it is possible for every well trained person.

Tsho Rolpa is one of the largest glacial lakes in Nepal. On one hand, this place is a very beautifulplace to visit. It is surrounded by high mountains. Most of them have a height of more then

6000m. On the other hand, this lake shows the fragile geologic system in the Himalaya.

There is a significant risk of a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF), which can destroy the wholeRolwaling valley. The lake is dammed by the front-moraine of the Trakkarding glacier and is fed


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by its melting water. Due to the worldwide climatic temperature rise, the lake grows bigger everyyear as the Trakkarding glacier melts. With the growing of the lake, the pressure on the morainerises. This highly unconsolidated terminal moraine dam is stabilized by permafrost. But also withthe temperature rise, this permafrost melts and the moraine is destabilized, thus making a GLOFmore likely.

Several projects have been started to save the Rolwaling valley. A warning system was installedto inform the people in the case of a GLOF. But the most important project is the prevention of aGLOF. A watergate has been built, to lower the waterlevel for several meters in order to reducethe pressure on the moraine. Scientists perform measurements in the moraine and on the glacierto get more knowledge about the whole system.


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The picture above shows the GLOF from 3. September 1998 in the upper Hinku Valley. The lakewas small compared to Tsho Rolpa, but you can clearly see the destructive power of a GLOF.


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It is a very interesting and challenging Trekking-Tour to visit the Rolwaling valley. If you don'twant to cross Trashi Laptsa and continue the Trekk to the Khumbu-Area, it is possible for every

well trained person. Crossing the Trashi Lapsa requires an experienced mountaineer! It is alsorequired to get a Trekking permit to travel in the Himalayan Valleys. The easiest way to get thereis to contact one of the numerous Trekking Agencies in Kathmandu. These agencies can applyfor the requiered permits and organise a guide and porters to support your Treck.


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To log this EarthCache, you have to answer the following questions about the lake and thevalley, and email them to the cache owner:1. What is the name of the Nepali people, living in this valley?2. How much water (in m) is approximately stored in the lake?3. What is the height of the moraine dam?4. (Optional) It would be nice, if you upload some pictures with your log.

significant impact on the high mountainous glacial environment. Many big glaciers meltedrapidly forming a large number of glacial lakes. Due to an increase in the rate at which ice andsnow melted, the accumulation of water in these lakes has been increasing rapidly. Suddendischarge of large volumes of water with debris from these lakes causes glacial lake outburstfloods (GLOFs) in valleys downstream. These result in serious death tolls and destruction ofvaluable natural resources such as forests, farms, and costly mountain infrastructures. The HinduKush-Himalayan region has suffered several GLOF events originating from numerous glaciallakes, some of which have trans-boundary impacts.

At least 12 GLOF events have been recorded since 1935 in the Tibetan area of the Himalayas. AGLOF from Sangwang Cho glacial lake at the head-waters of the Nyangqu River in the YarlungZangbo basin in Tibet in July 1954 buried the upper valley with 3 to 5 m thick debris.

The flood damaged the city of Gyangze 120 km away, with a peak discharge of 10,000 m3s-1,and the city of Xigaze 200 km downstream. This GLOF released 300 million cubic metres ofwater and created a 40-metre high surge flood in Nyang Qu River (Xu & Feng 1994). The GLOF


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that occurred on 11 July 1981 originated from the Zhangzangbo glacial lake in Tibet and causeddamage 50 km downstream, destroying three concrete bridges (one in China, one in Nepal, andone at the Nepal-China border) and a long section of the Nepal-China Highway which cost US$3 million to rebuild.

Thirty-five destructive GLOF events have been recorded in the Upper Indus River system in thepast two hundred years, but there have been few catastrophic floods in the recent past (WECS1987). A GLOF from the Shyok area in August 1929 in the Indus River system extended 1,300km downstream to Attock and had a discharge greater than 15,000 m3s-1 (WECS 1987).

GLOF events from the Lunana area of northwestern Bhutan damaged the Punakha Dzong in1957, 1969, and 1994. The latest GLOF in Bhutan was triggered by partial breaching of LuggeTsho glacial lake.

The GLOF event that occurred on 4 August 1985 from Dig Tsho (Langmoche) glacial lakedestroyed the nearly complete Namche Small Hydropower Plant (estimated cost of US $ one and

half million), 14 bridges, cultivated lands, and so on. Five GLOF events occurred in Nepal from1977 to 1998 according to the records and, based on the study of satellite images, evidence ofother occurrences in the past has has been found. Six GLOF events (1935 - 1981) originatingfrom Tibet, China, were reported to have damaging effects inside the Koshi River Basin inNepal.

A recent inventory carried out by ICIMOD and UNEP/EAP-AP shows that there are 3,252glaciers covering a surface area of 53,23 sq.km and 2,315 glacial lakes out of which 26 potentialdangerous glacial lakes are in Nepal (ICIMOD and UNEP/EAP-AP 2000). Field studies of thesix glacial lakes (Tsho Rolpa, Imja, Thulagi, Lower Barun, Dig Tsho, and Tam Pokhari) in Nepalhave been carried out by different organisations. Similarly, the inventory carried out shows that

in Bhutan there are 677 glaciers covering 1,316 sq.km and 2,674 lakes, out of which 22 arepotentially dangerous.

World effect

The tornado tore through several towns north-east of Tokyo, with television footage from thecity of Tsukuba showing houses torn apart, overturned cars and toppled power poles.http://www.sott.net/signs/list_by_categ ... net?page=1

The death toll in a flash flood in Nepal's central Annapurna region could be as high as 60,according to rescuers scouring the area for survivors.http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/

Residents of Grandfield, southwestern Oklahoma farming town, spent Saturday cleaning up aftera compact storm carrying a big punch pretty well shut the town down. Hail the size of baseballsthrashed the wheat crop just days before harvest, damaging hundreds of homes and vehicleswhen the storm rolled through Friday evening.http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/
http://www.sott.net/signs/list_by_category/4-The-Living-Planet?page=1http://www.sott.net/signs/list_by_category/4-The-Living-Planet?page=1http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/http://thewatchers.adorraeli.com/http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/http://www.sott.net/signs/list_by_category/4-The-Living-Planet?page=1


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Saturday's storms grazed Sioux Falls, but other parts of eastern South Dakota felt the brunt ofhigh winds, hail and heavy rain.http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?page ... 0120507-...

Japan Nuclear Expert: There are known to be broken fuel rod assemblies in Spent Fuel Pool No.

4Large amount of radioactive material has fallen to bottom"Many years" to get fuel out(VIDEO)http://enenews.com/

Read more:http://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvig
http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=HS-20120507-..http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=HS-20120507-..http://enenews.com/http://enenews.com/http://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://www.disclose.tv/forum/climate-change-update-07-may-2012-radioactive-tornado-in-j-t71793.html#ixzz1vwfTwvighttp://enenews.com/http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/site/?pageid=event_desc&edis_id=HS-20120507-..

impact in nepa

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