"Nepal Glacial Disaster Exposes Gaps in Himalayan Transboundary Climate Cooperation"
Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)
sudden release of water impounded behind a glacial ice or moraine dam
Cascading Hazard
chain of connected disaster events where one trigger sets off sequential secondary failures
The Himalayan arc is one of the world's youngest and most tectonically active mountain systems, shared ecologically by India, China, and Nepal. Its steep slopes, fractured rock, and extensive glacial cover create conditions where small triggers can release enormous destructive energy. The range feeds Asia's largest river systems, including the Yarlung Tsangpo (Brahmaputra), the Indus, and upper Gangetic tributaries such as the Bhote Koshi and Karnali — all originating on the Tibetan Plateau controlled by China. This makes China the dominant upper-riparian state, with India and Nepal as lower-riparian nations heavily dependent on upstream hydrological data. India and China have historically managed this through bilateral Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) on data sharing for the Brahmaputra and Sutlej basins, but these arrangements froze after the 2020 Galwan Valley standoff, leaving a structural gap in real-time disaster communication precisely as climate change accelerates glacial hazards.
Nepal sits at the heart of this hazard zone, sharing river systems with India across five border states — Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim — making upstream disasters a direct downstream threat. India's institutional disaster response is anchored by the Disaster Management Act, 2005, which established the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). Both India and Nepal are signatories to the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030), which calls for a shift from reactive response toward anticipatory risk reduction. The 2021 Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand, where a rock-ice avalanche destroyed hydropower plants and killed over 200 people, had already demonstrated how quickly a single high-altitude failure cascades into a multi-sector catastrophe.
The broader multilateral context is provided by the Paris Agreement (2015), under which all three nations carry climate commitments. India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) target 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030 and a 45% reduction in GDP emission intensity over 2005 levels. Nepal, by contrast, contributes negligible greenhouse gas emissions yet bears disproportionate climate impacts — an asymmetry between emitters and victims that sits at the core of any regional climate governance debate.
A Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) occurs when water impounded behind a glacial dam — either ice or moraine — is suddenly released. As Himalayan temperatures rise, glaciers retreat and meltwater accumulates in unstable lakes. When these lakes breach, they release millions of cubic metres of water in minutes, generating flows far exceeding normal flood peaks. GLOFs are a subset of the broader category of cascading hazards: chains of connected disaster events where one trigger sets off a sequence of secondary failures.
In the Himalayas, the typical cascade runs as follows. An extreme rainfall event or glacial destabilisation triggers a slope failure or GLOF. The resulting mass of ice, rock, and water entrains sediment as it moves downslope, becoming a fast-moving debris flow. …
'Climate change' is a global problem. How will India be affected by climate change? How will Himalayan and coastal states of India be affected by climate change?
Consider the following statements:
I.Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in India are less than 0.5 t CO2/capita.
II.In terms of CO2 emissions from fuel combustion, India ranks second in Asia-Pacific region.
III.Electricity and heat producers are the largest sources of CO2 emissions in India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Consider the following statements about India's Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) under the Paris Agreement:
1.India has committed to achieving 500 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2030.
2.India targets 50% of its cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030.
3.India aims to reduce the emissions intensity of its GDP by 45% over 2005 levels by 2030.
4.India has committed to achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), consider the following statements:
1.GLOFs occur when water impounded by a glacial or moraine dam is suddenly released.
2.The Hindu Kush-Himalayan range contains the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar regions.
3.GLOFs respect international boundaries and are confined to the country where the glacial lake is located.
4.Rising global temperatures are causing glacial lakes in the HKH range to expand, increasing GLOF risk.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Match the following transboundary rivers with their correct description:
List I (River) — List II (Description)
A.Yarlung Tsangpo — 1. Flows into Nepal and then India; upper tributary of the Ganges system
B.Pareechu — 2. Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra; enters India through Arunachal Pradesh
C.Bhote Koshi — 3. Tributary of the Sutlej (Indus system); past glacial lake events triggered flood alerts in Himachal Pradesh
D.Karnali — 4. Transboundary river shared between Tibet and Nepal; flows into the Ganges system
Select the correct answer:
Consider the following statements regarding transboundary river systems originating from the Tibetan Plateau:
1.The Yarlung Tsangpo is the Tibetan name for the Brahmaputra river.
2.The Pareechu River is a tributary that flows into the Indus system and has caused glacial lake-related flood alerts for downstream India.
3.The Bhote Koshi is a transboundary tributary shared between Tibet and Nepal.
4.The Karnali river originates in Tibet and is a tributary of the Ganges system.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
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