"Nepal Floods Expose Gaps in South Asia Transboundary Disaster Governance"
GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood)
sudden breach of a moraine-dammed glacial lake releasing a torrent of water and debris
Antecedent drainage
rivers that predate the mountain ranges they flow through, cutting deep gorges as ranges rose around them
The Himalayan mountain system is geologically young and tectonically active. Its rocks are fractured, poorly consolidated, and highly susceptible to erosion. This makes the region uniquely prone to landslides, avalanches, and flash floods. Several major rivers of South Asia originate in the Himalayan cryosphere, the zone of permanent ice and snow. Glaciers feed these rivers directly. For example, the Siachen Glacier feeds the Nubra River, the Bara Shigri Glacier feeds the Chenab, and the Zemu Glacier in Sikkim feeds the Teesta. As glaciers retreat under climate change, they leave behind unstable lakes held by loose moraine dams. When these dams breach, the result is a Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF), a sudden release of enormous volumes of water and debris.
Many Himalayan rivers are also antecedent drainage systems. These rivers existed before the Himalayas rose and cut their channels through the mountains as the ranges uplifted around them. The Sutlej, for instance, originates in the Tibetan Plateau, flows through three countries, and has no distributaries, a classic antecedent river. The Brahmaputra and Indus follow the same pattern. Because antecedent rivers flow through deep, narrow gorges, any sudden upstream flood event propagates downstream with great speed and force, leaving little warning time for communities below.
Nepal shares a long open border with India across five states: Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, and Sikkim. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship (1950) underpins the bilateral relationship. India's Neighborhood First policy commits it to proactive engagement with South Asian neighbors, including humanitarian assistance and disaster relief. However, no permanent treaty-based bilateral mechanism exists specifically for cross-border disaster management between India and Nepal. Responses to shared Himalayan hazards have so far been largely ad hoc.
A GLOF occurs when a glacial lake, typically dammed by a moraine or ice wall, suddenly breaches. The breach releases a torrent of water, ice, and debris that can travel at extreme speed through mountain valleys. The Chamoli disaster in Uttarakhand, triggered by an ice-rock avalanche, caused a massive flash flood whose impacts reached as far as Delhi's drinking water supply. The South Lhonak GLOF in Sikkim similarly demonstrated how quickly Himalayan hazards cascade across settlements and critical infrastructure. These events are not isolated. They reflect a structural pattern: climate change is accelerating glacial retreat, increasing the number and size of glacial lakes, and raising the probability of outburst events.
The governance challenge is fundamentally transboundary. Rivers do not follow political borders. The Kosi and Gandak rivers originate in Nepal and flow into Bihar. A flood event in Nepal's upper catchment becomes a flood management crisis in India's plains within hours. The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources, in its report on glacier management in the Himalayan region, recognised this explicitly. …
Consider the following pairs:
Glacier — River
1.Bandarpunch — Yamuna
2.Bara Shigri — Chenab
3.Milam — Mandakini
4.Siachen — Nubra
5.Zemu — Manas
Which of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Identify the river of the Indian sub-continent on the basis of the following information:
1.It has an antecedent drainage system.
2.It flows through three countries.
3.It originates in the Tibetan Plateau and is an important river for irrigation.
4.It does not form distributaries.
Select the answer from the following:
Consider the following pairs of Glaciers and the Rivers they feed:
1.Bara Shigri — Chenab
2.Siachen — Nubra
3.Zemu — Manas
4.Bandarpunch — Yamuna
How many of the pairs given above are correctly matched?
Consider the following statements about the Sutlej River:
1.It has an antecedent drainage system.
2.It originates in the Tibetan Plateau.
3.It flows through three countries.
4.It forms distributaries in its lower reaches.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
Consider the following statements regarding Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalayan region:
1.GLOFs occur when moraine or ice dams holding glacial lakes suddenly breach.
2.The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources has recommended that the Ministry of Jal Shakti negotiate glacier-risk agreements with neighboring Himalayan countries.
3.The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (2015–2030) provides the international normative basis for transboundary disaster cooperation.
4.Existing bilateral water treaties between India and its neighbors were specifically designed to manage GLOF risk.
Which of the statements given above are correct?
India shares an open border with Nepal across which of the following Indian states?
1.Uttarakhand
2.Himachal Pradesh
3.Bihar
4.West Bengal
5.Sikkim
Select the correct answer using the code given below:
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