Nepal disaster a grim reminder to rethink preparedness, Pg7

Key Highlights:

• Catastrophic flash floods, caused by a glacial collapse, struck Nepal on August 26.
• Nepal has been identified as highly vulnerable to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), having experienced 26 such events since the 1970s.
• Globally, over 9,500 gigatonnes of glacier mass have been lost since 1975, with the Central Himalaya seeing a 20% decline in glacier area.
• Nepal's Finance Minister estimated rebuilding costs of $4 billion to $5 billion, nearly a tenth of the country's economy.

Nepal Flash Floods.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The UN Development Program highlighted Nepal's historical vulnerability to GLOFs.
• The Central Himalaya region, encompassing Nepal and India’s Uttarakhand, has experienced significant glacier retreat.
• The increasing frequency of natural disasters, such as earthquakes in Indonesia, typhoons in China, and European wildfires, underscores the need for enhanced preparedness.
• Natural disasters lead to massive displacement of populations and substantial economic damages globally.
• Low- and lower-middle-income countries are disproportionately affected due to high vulnerability and limited readiness to adapt to climate change impacts.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF): A sudden and rapid release of water from a glacial lake, often caused by the collapse of an ice or moraine dam.
• Climate Change: Long-term shifts in global or regional climate patterns, primarily attributed to increased levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide produced by the use of fossil fuels.
• Disaster Resilience: The capacity of a community or system to anticipate, absorb, accommodate, or recover from the effects of a hazardous event in a timely and efficient manner.