Definition
- GLOF is the sudden flooding that occurs due to breach of boundaries of proglacial lakes resulting in rapid and large downstream discharge into nearby streams and lakes.
Causes
- Rapid melting of glaciers or the buildup of water
- Changes in the volume of the glacier
- Changes in the water levels of the lake
- Earthquakes
- Heavy rainfall
- Climate Change
NDMA’s Guidelines to Tackle Glacial Bursts
- Identifying Potentially Dangerous Lakes:
- Potentially dangerous lakes can be identified based on field observations, records of past events, geomorphologic and geotechnical characteristics of the lake/dam and surroundings, and other physical conditions.
- Use of Technology:
- Promoting the use of Synthetic-Aperture Radar imagery (a form of radar that is used to create two-dimensional images) to automatically detect changes in water bodies, including new lake formations, during the monsoon months.
- Channeling Potential Floods:
- Reducing the volume of water with methods such as controlled breaching, pumping or siphoning out water, and making a tunnel through the moraine barrier or under an ice dam.
- Uniform Codes for Construction Activity:
- Developing a broad framework for infrastructure development, construction, and excavation in vulnerable zones.
- There is a need to accept procedures for land use planning in the GLOF-prone areas.
- Enhancing Early Warning Systems (EWS):
- The number of implemented and operational GLOF EWS is very small, even at the global scale.
- In the Himalayan region, there are at least three reported instances (two in Nepal and one in China) of implementation of sensor- and monitoring-based technical systems for GLOF early warning.
- Training Local Manpower:
- Apart from pressing specialized forces such as the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), ITBP, and the Army, NDMA has emphasized the need for trained local manpower.
- It has been observed that over 80% of search and rescue is carried out by the local community before the intervention of the state machinery and specialized search and rescue teams.
- Comprehensive Alarm Systems:
- Besides classical alarm infrastructure consisting of acoustic alarms by sirens, modern communication technology using cells and smartphones can complement or even replace traditional alarming infrastructure.