NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHOR ITY GUIDELINES MANAGEMENT OF GLACIAL LAKE OUTBURST FLOODS (GLOFs) October 2 020 NATIONAL DISASTER MANAGEMENT AUTHORITY MINISTRY OF HOME AFFAIRS GOVERNMENT OF INDIA Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation SDC National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) A publication of: National Disaster Management Authority Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India NDMA Bhawan A-1, Safdarjung Enclave New Delhi - 110029 October, 2020 When citing this manual, the following citation should be used: National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) A Publication of the National Disaster Management Authority, Government of India. October 2020, New Delhi National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) National Disaster Management Authority Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India October, 2020 National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines Prime Minister MESSAGE It is heartening to learn that National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has prepared national guidelines on management of Glacier Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). Global warming and climate change are among the major challenges the world faces today. The hazards associated with glacial formations in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) require an integrated strategy to minimize disaster risks. The national guidelines will increase awareness about different aspects of GLOFs to further efficient monitoring and effective response. The document on instructions will facilitate a holistic mechanism from local to national level while ensuring valued participation of various stakeholders in IHR. Identification and standardisation of short-term, medium-term and long-term action plans will offer active roles and responsibilities to stakeholders and help build a robust and responsive way forward to deal with glacial risks. May the national guidelines on GLOFs, the outcome of the collaborative effort of NDMA and Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, Embassy of Switzerland, prove to be a valuable asset in the hands of people to efficiently deal with glacial hazards and strengthen our preparedness and resilience. Best wishes to NDMA for its future endeavours. (Narendra Modi) National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines AMIT SHAH HOME MINISTER INDIA National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines PREFACE Mountain regions are characterized by sensitive ecosystems, enhanced occurrences of extreme weather events and natural hazards; they are also regions of conflicting interests between economic development and environmental conservation. With rapid global warming, fragile mountain cryosphere and landscapes are evolving and new threats of landslides, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), avalanches, cloud burst, drought and flash floods are posing serious risks to the vulnerable mountain communities. The Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) is facing critical challenges while coping with the adverse effects of climate change. The disappearance of mountain glaciers, expansion of large glacial lakes and the formation of new glacial lakes are amongst the most recognizable impacts of global warming in this environment. IHR lies in Seismic Zones IV and V making the region highly prone to earthquakes. This combined with other disturbances such as avalanches and falling boulders is making the glacial lakes vulnerable to breaches, unleashing sudden, potentially disastrous floods in the nearby communities. People residing at considerable distances downstream from unstable glacial lakes are facing serious threats to their lives and property. Flash floods and GLOFs have killed thousands in many parts of the world. Some of the largest events have occurred in the Indian Himalayas, such as the Kedarnath disaster in Uttarakhand (2013) and Parechu river flash floods in Himachal Pradesh (2005). Despite these losses, disaster risk management related to GLOFs has not been mainstreamed into development policies and programmes. In this context, the National Disaster Management Agency (NDMA) has partnered with the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) along with national experts from concerned Indian institutions for the development of the National Guidelines on Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). These guidelines aim to enable concerned ministries or departments of State/UT, central governments and other stakeholders to take concerted action for preparedness, prevention, mitigation, and response to GLOFs. These Guidelines also emphasize awareness and capacity building of the relevant stakeholders. For further study, Summary of Guidelines for Policy Makers and a detailed compendium may be referred. Sh. Kamal Kishore Sh. Krishna S. Vatsa Sh. Rajendra Singh Lt. Gen. Syed Ata Hasnain (Retd.) Sh. G.V.V. Sarma Member Member Member Member Member Secretary i National Disaster Management Authority Guidelines ACKNOWLEDGEMENT Formulation of Guidelines for Management of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) could be accomplished through constitution of Task Force of inter-disciplinary experts. The Task Force comprised of sub-groups of experts addressing different components for glacial lake disaster risk reduction. Besides members of the Task Force, experts from various National and State Government Departments/ Institutions provided useful inputs towards formulation of this document viz. the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC), National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Central Water Commission (CWC), Geological Survey of India (GSI), National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM), Snow and Avalanche Study Establishment (SASE) – DRDO, Defence Terrain Research Laboratory (DTRL) - DRDO, Indian Institute of Remote Sensing (IIRS), National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR), Border Roads Organisation (BRO), Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG), Kashmir University, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Mandi, G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE), Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM) and University of Zurich, Switzerland. NDMA acknowledges the dedication of experts of the Task Force who substantially contributed towards the formulation of this document. The effortless contribution by Dr. Sanjay K Jain and Dr. A K Lohani Scientist–G, National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee is much appreciated in compilation and shaping of the guidelines. We would like to humbly thank the Government of Switzerland acting through the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), especially Ms. Divya Kashyap, Senior Thematic Advisor of SDC, for partnering with NDMA and extending support throughout the process of guideline development. These guidelines have especially benefitted from the extensive technical inputs provided by Dr. Simon Allen and Dr. Holger Frey from the University of Zurich, Switzerland. Their engagement, which also brought on-board the international scientific perspective through links to the GAPHAZ working group, was possible through the support extended by the SDC. Efforts of Mitigation Division especially Dr. Ravinder Singh, Senior Consultant (Landslide & Avalanche), NDMA and Ms. Priyanka, Junior Consultant, are highly acknowledged in bringing comprehensiveness and finalization of these guidelines. Also, contributions of Ms. Sweksha Gupta and Shri Akshay Rai Bansal, former Junior consultants at NDMA are acknowledged in assisting during the initial stages of guidelines preparation. It is hoped that the sincere efforts that have been put in bringing this document on the frontline will prove useful to the concerned States/ Union Territories, Departments and other stakeholders in formulating projects and plans that will lead to effective and holistic hazards and risks reduction due to GLOFs and LLOFs in future. ii Contents CONTENTS Preface........................................................................................................i Acknowledgement..................................................................................................................ii List of Figures.............................................................................................................................vi List of Tables..............................................................................................................................viii Abbreviations & Acronyms........................................................................................................ix Executive Summary....................................................................................................................xiii CHAPTER 1: THE CONTEXT...........................................................................................................1-4 1.1 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) and Landslide Lake Outburst Flood (LLOF) Hazards- An Introduction...............................................................................................................................1 1.2 Factors Contributing Glacial Hazards (GLOF & LLOF)............................................................1 1.3 Present Mechanism for Early Warning Systems....................................................................2 1.4 Key Risk Parameters...............................................................................................................3