Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Hazard Modelling and Risk Management in the Indian Himalayas and the Tian Shan Region

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are a growing hazard in the Himalayas and Central Asia, exacerbated by climate change. Events like the October 2023 GLOF at South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim, India, highlight their devastating impacts on communities, infrastructure, and livelihoods. Rising temperatures, glacier melt, and seismic activity increase their unpredictability, underscoring the urgent need for early warning systems, hazard mapping, and collaborative risk reduction strategies.

The Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), under the Strengthening Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalayas project (SCA Himalayas), pioneered innovative solutions for GLOF risk management in a pilot intervention in Sikkim, India. Automatic weather and water stations have been installed at glacier-fed South Lhonak and Shako Cho Lakes. These stations provide real-time data for long-term hazard and climate monitoring and demonstrate a technology-driven model for partnerships with National and sub-national authorities. SDC’s contribution extends to structural and non-structural mitigation, hazard mapping, and capacity building, setting a benchmark for national DRR strategies.

The intervention established scientific best-practices for GLOF Risk Management; contributing to the Indian National GLOF risk mitigation Programme (NGRMP), led by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA). The NGRMP includes a series of interventions to assess, monitor and plan for GLOF risk mitigation across the Himalayas. Furthermore, Switzerland is supporting India’s National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) by strengthening its search and rescue response capacity. Both collaborations, highlight benefits of international collaboration in enhancing disaster preparedness and response.

In Central Asia, UNESCO’s GLOFCA project is bringing transformative solutions by integrating latest tools and scientific state-of-the-art for risk assessment, with extensive training and capacity-building modules for disaster risk reduction (DRR). As key contributor, the University of Zurich provides expertise in hazard assessment, early warning systems, and climate risk modelling. Their collaboration with UNESCO and local institutions has enhanced scientific capacity, grounding DRR measures in local and international best practices. The project demonstrates the potential of regional cooperation and technological innovation to protect vulnerable populations.

This session will showcase experiences & learnings, emphasizing scalable best practices, from low-cost adaptation measures to advanced EWS. It will highlight key partnerships — such as the Swiss-Indian collaboration under SCA-Himalayas — as critical pathways toward climate and disaster resilience, reinforcing the need to integrate DRR and climate adaptation into national and regional policies.

Session objectives

• Showcase successful GLOF risk mitigation initiatives in the Indian Himalayan and Central Asian regions, highlighting the role of international collaboration. For example, the installation of automatic weather & water monitoring stations at South Lhonak Lake in Sikkim and pilot projects under the GLOFCA initiative in Central Asia are demonstrating the effectiveness of combining innovative technology with community engagement to reduce risks.
• Present key guiding principles for the long-term success and sustainability of GLOF risk reduction strategies, elaborated with examples from India and Central Asia
• A short film-screening to present the significant milestones achieved owing to the collaboration between SDC and the NDRF; which includes mentoring NDRF battalions for its international classification.
• Foster dialogue on the potential of a proposed Centre of Excellence for DRR in the Himalayas to promote regional resilience and capacity building. 

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