Urgent call for climate-ready disaster management

Dipak Kurmi

(The writer can be reached at dipaknewslive@gmail.com.)

In the serene landscapes of Sikkim, a calamity unfolded as heavy monsoon rainfall and a glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) wreaked havoc on the region. The aftermath saw the Teesta 3 dam partially washed away, Teesta 5 damaged, bridges demolished, and roads submerged. The human-aided natural disaster serves as a poignant reminder of the complex interplay between climate change, glacial vulnerabilities, and the urgent need for robust disaster management strategies.

The trigger for the GLOF on Lhonak Lake in northwest Sikkim remains uncertain, with speculation ranging from intense rainfall to a potential earthquake. The absence of real-time rainfall data in the remote region amplifies the challenge of understanding the meteorological dynamics leading up to the catastrophe.

Climate scientists emphasize the heightened risk of GLOF events in the Himalayan region due to rising global temperatures. As glaciers shrink and give rise to moraine-dammed lakes, the potential for catastrophic outbursts increases. The recent incident in Sikkim highlights the vulnerability of the region, compounded by the lack of advanced monitoring infrastructure.

Miriam Jackson, a glaciologist, cautions against prematurely confirming the event as a GLOF, citing cloud-covered satellite images. The distinction between a flash flood triggered by intense rainfall and a GLOF is crucial in understanding the root causes and formulating effective mitigation strategies.

Experts like Jakob Steiner, a High Mountain Asia hazards and hydrology expert, point to a cascading hazard chain where permafrost degradation near the lake may have destabilised the dam, eventually succumbing to exceptionally strong rainfall. The downstream impact was exacerbated by the tearing away of a hydropower structure, amplifying the loss of life and infrastructure damage.

The tragedy in Sikkim underscores the imperative of climate resilience and disaster preparedness. With a 25% increase in GLOF events over the last two decades, it is evident that proactive measures are essential. Abinash Mohanty, a climate change expert, advocates for hyper-granular risk assessments that integrate identified hot spots into disaster management plans. The current disaster preparedness framework needs a reevaluation to align with the evolving climate landscape.

As the global climate continues to warm, the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalaya face a future fraught with escalating risks. The Sikkim disaster serves as a stark call to action, urging policymakers, scientists, and communities to collaborate in crafting climate-ready disaster management strategies. Only through concerted efforts to limit temperature rise and enhance adaptive capacities can we hope to mitigate the looming threats that lie ahead.