Climate change increases the risk of Himalayas continuous natural disasters

Rampo floods and destruction, 130 km downstream of Lake South Ronak. Credit: Prabled Rao
International studies surveyed the causes and effects of the catastrophic flood disasters of Himalayas in October 2023, and destroyed vast areas along the Tista River in India.
Research teams from nine countries, including researchers from the University of Zurich (UZH), have analyzed the complex drivers, causes, and results of the flood cascade, and rebuilt the accurate time of their onset.
Their research is published in the Journal Science.
On October 3, 2023, about 14.7 million cubic -meter frozen molding material collapsed on Lake South Ronac, causing a tsunami -like shock wave to up to 20 meters. The explosion of the Lake Lake after that violated Morain and released about 50 million cubic meters of water.
The flood caused major damage along the 385 km length valley, washed off about 270 million cubic meters, and flooded infrastructure such as hydropower plants on the Tista River. It was reported that at least 55 people had died and the other 70 people were missing.
“This event reminds us of the vulnerabilities in the alpine area on the impact of climate change,” says Christian Hagur, the co -author of the research and the UZH environment and climate research group. “The thawing of permanent frozen soil and the instability of the structure of rock, ice, and molene can bring great risk.”
High resolution remote sensing data is important
Using state -of -the -art scientific methods, researchers have analyzed the dynamics and effects of flood disasters in detail. High -resolution satellite images, digital altitude models, and numerical simulations provided detailed rebuilding of the event.
The earthquake data has helped researchers to determine the accurate time for the collapse of Morain, but the amount of water and sediment released by terrain analysis has been quantified. The combination of satellite technology and physical models provided a comprehensive situation of disasters and its extensive results.
“The use of high -resolution remote sensing data was important for detailed understanding of the complex process and cascade effect of the flood,” said UZH’s former postdoc researcher and currently assistant professor at Indian University of Technology. I will explain. At Bubaneshwar. “Collaboration between researchers in various fields was important in measuring the entire range of this event.”


The concrete dam at the TEESTA III hydroelectric power plant was completely destroyed by flood disasters. Credit: Zurich University


A high resolution satellite image of Lake South Ronak before and after the flood disaster. Credit: Zurich University


A numerical modeling of an explosion flood on Lake Lake on Lake South Ronak in Sikkim, India. It shows the progressive flood of TeestariverValley (TOP) and an observation and modeled erosion between the lake explosion floods (below). Credit: Science (2025). Doi: 10.1126/Science.ads2659
Urgent need for an early warning system
The flood not only destroyed infrastructure, including five hydroelectric power generation, but also caused large -scale erosions and deposits that have severe consequences to farmers and local companies.
“Our survey results emphasize the urgent need for an early warning system and international cooperation to deal with such issues,” Satta emphasizes. This study also indicates that Morain’s instability was revealed a few years before the event, and has a maximum shift of up to 15 meters a year. This emphasizes the need for adjusted monitoring in the important alpine area and the need for further preventive measures that can reduce damage.
Researchers emphasize that as the temperature rises, the risk of explosions of Lake Lake increases, and similar disasters are more likely to become more common than the future. “The case of Lake South Ronack reminds me of taking the climate risks of mountainous mountainous areas more seriously,” said Huggel.
“In order to minimize the disaster of Shogun, a better risk modeling, and a robust adaptation strategy in order to minimize the disaster.”
The team is also seeking stronger regulations on developing hydroelectric power generation in high -risk areas, better monitoring of glacial lake, and integration of early warning systems. This study provides important insights to help you prepare the local community well for climate change issues.
Details: Ashim Sattar and others, Sikkim Flood in October 2023: Multihazard Caskade drivers, causes, effects, Science (2025). Doi: 10.1126/Science.ads2659
Provided by the University of Zurich
Quotation: Climate change increases the risk of Himalayas (January 30, 2025) continuous natural disasters. 2025 https://phys.org/news/2025-01-climate-nital-hazards-himalayas.html
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