It is worth noting that any disaster becomes an important beginning point to be able to deal with it, when its magnitude is known. The Jammu and Kashmir administration along with scientific institutions have been very detailed in their studies of glacial lakes to map them and find the Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) -triggering potential.
Such events can produce torrents of flooding that can wipe communities, infrastructure, and ecosystems off of the maps. More so in the fragile Himalayas, Jammu and Kashmir is certainly one of the most susceptible locations to the impending disaster.
So, it is a good thing that the state government has, in good faith, adopted a clear, holistic and proactively strategized plan to mitigate risk, which should be commended and receive fast track considerations for the necessary support.
High-risk areas are based on the latest remote sensing and satellite information alongside ground survey data. It is by such scientific evidence that mitigation actions are based on record-keeping rather than reactive action.
Setting up a sensor-based monitoring system near critical glacial lakes to prompt real-time alerts for downstream users. Engineering intervention through siphoning or lowering of the lake artificially decreases the amount of water in unstable glacial lakes. Training local people on disaster response, evacuation exercises and resilient infrastructure development.
Preventing erosion and landslides through ecological restoration of vulnerable catchments. Integrating climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction into regional development plans.
The actions taken by government are excellent but the actions need to be scalable. The whole country, the national government, international climate agencies, and neighbouring Himalayan states should pool their resources, knowledge, and technology together to build a consolidated front to combat GLOFs. Most importantly global climate action to reduce emissions is evergreen – even the best mitigation actions will be overwhelmed in the end.
