Past Event

Cascading Disasters and Vulnerable Infrastructure in the Himalaya: Placing the Sikkim and Melamchi Floods in Context

Cascading disasters triggered by climate volatility and exacerbated by human activity are causing intensive loss and damage across the Himalayan region, and better policy is needed to protect communities and infrastructure.

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October 19, 2023 from 9:00 - 10:30 AM (US Eastern)

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  • October 19, 2023
  • 9:00 - 10:30 AM (US Eastern)
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Event Took Place

  • October 19, 2023
  • 9:00 - 10:30 AM (US Eastern)

On October 4th, the South Lhonak glacial lake in the state of Sikkim, India burst, releasing tens of millions of cubic meters of water into the Teesta River. The flow gathered force, breaching and destroying the 1200 MW Teesta III dam, causing a compounding flood event that extended over 100 kilometers downstream. This disaster caused billions of dollars of damage and 42 confirmed casualties, while over one hundred people remain missing (post-event update: 92 casualties confirmed).

This catastrophe is only the most recent climate-related cascading disaster in the Himalayan region and is eerily similar to the 2021 Melamchi disaster in Nepal, which also caused extensive infrastructural damage. While active geology and volatile meteorological conditions of the Himalayan region have always produced mass movements and cascading disasters, patterns of loss and damage are intensifying as climatic volatility increases. This timely webinar brings together geoscientists, social scientists, and disaster risk reduction practitioners working in the Himalayan region to unpack both the recent South Lhonak disaster and the 2021 Melamchi disaster. We will also discuss actions and policies to evaluated downstream risk, reduce vulnerability, and promote resilience in other Himalayan watersheds. During this webinar, Stimson’s Energy, Water, and Sustainability team will also briefly introduce its new collaborative effort to develop monitoring and early warning processes for cascading disasters and extreme flow events in the Himalayan region of Nepal.

This event is supported by The McConnell Foundation. 

Featured Speakers

Dr. Ashim Sattar, DST Inspire Faculty (D​ivecha Centre for Climate Change, IISc Bangalore)

Dr. Ashim Sattar works on climate impact on the Himalayan Cryosphere, remote sensing-based glacier modeling, and modeling of glacial lake outburst floods and other mountain hazards. His research expertise deals with several aspects of high mountain hazards, risks, and adaptation around the world and involves understanding various mass movement processes in high mountain geosystems focusing on recent dynamics. Full bio here.

Dr. Basanta Raj Adhikari, Director at Center for Disaster Studies, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal

Dr. Basanta Raj Adhikari, Director at Centre for Disaster Studies, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Nepal, is a geohazard expert working on tectonics of the Himalaya, climate change, hill-slope movement and human interaction, Himalayan sediment flux generation, landslide Early Warning System, Multi-hazard risk assessment, community-based disaster risk reduction and nature-based solutions. His detailed information can be found in his personal web-page here.

Sanchita Neupane, Programme Manager for Landslide DRR, People in Need, Nepal

Ms. Sanchita Neupane has a background of civil engineering, and a Masters in Disasters Risk. She has both field based and policy level understanding of the issues on disaster risk reduction and management in Nepal. She has experience in community-based disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, and digitalization in DRR. She has been contributing to the disaster risk reduction landscape in Nepal through academia, research and implementation.

Dr. Amelie Huber, Freshwater Project Manager, EuroNatur Foundation

Amelie Huber holds a PhD in Environmental Sciences from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. From 2011-2019 she investigated environmental conflicts associated with the Himalayan hydropower boom in Northeast India. Her research discussed among others how knowledge politics in the governance of hydropower risks accelerate processes of social marginalization. Currently, she is freshwater project manager at EuroNatur Foundation in Germany and co-coordinates the “Save the Blue Heart of Europe” campaign against hydropower development in the Balkans.

Moderators

Dr. Austin Lord, Nepal Lead, Non-Resident Fellow; Stimson Center Energy, Water, Sustainability Program

Dr. Austin Lord’s research focuses on disaster and climate risk management, water and energy policy, infrastructure development, and environmental governance in Nepal and the broader Himalayan region. Austin is the Lead Consultant for Stimson’s disaster risk reduction and climate adaptation-oriented work in Nepal, which is currently focused on developing early warning systems for cascading hazards and extreme flow events. Full bio here.

Dr. Jakob Steiner, Fellow at Himalayan University Consortium

Geoscientist with more than 15 years of experience in water resources and associated hazards and risks in High Mountain Asia and the Arctic, from field monitoring at altitude to translating scientific evidence into policy. Full bio here.

Introductory Remarks

Brian Eyler, Stimson Center Energy, Water, Sustainability Program Director

Brian Eyler directs the Southeast Asia Program and the Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program. He is an expert on transboundary issues in the Mekong region and specializes in China’s economic cooperation with Southeast Asia. He is widely recognized as a leading voice on environmental, energy, and water security issues in the Mekong. Brian is co-lead on the Mekong Dam Monitor. His first book, Last Days of the Mighty Mekong, was published by Zed Books in 2019. See his full bio here.

Photo Credit: Melamchi Bazaar, June 2021. Pravin Lamsal – Geovation, Nepal Flying Labs

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