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PROJECT #2003-05
Inventory of Glaciers and Glacial Lakes and the Identification of Potential
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
(GLOFs) Affected by Global Warming in the Mountains of Himalayan Region
| Project Leader |
Dr. J. G. CAMPBELL
Director-General International
Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
G.P.O. Box 3226,
Kathmandu
NEPAL
Tel: +977-1-552-5313
Fax: +977-1-552-4509
Email: gcampbell@icimod.org.np
bshrestha@icimod.org.np
(Mr. Basanta Shrestha)
pmool@icimod.org.np
(Mr. Pradeep Mool) |
| Funding |
US$ 75,000 |
| Participating countries |
Participants from the following countries were
funded: India, Nepal Pakistan, P. R. China and the Tibet Autonomous Region
of P. R. China. |
A representative of APN, Mr. Martin Rice (Programme Manager, APN Secretariat),
was funded by APN directly.
Brief introduction and background:
The primary purpose of this project is to assess glaciers, glacial lakes
in the selected basins in participating member countries, and highlight potential
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) threats that may cause serious damage to
human life and property.
The study covers the sub-basins of the Ganges Basin in P. R. China in collaboration
with CAREERI and BHT, the Indus Basin in Pakistan in collaboration with WRRP
of NARC, and the Himachal Pradesh Himalaya in India in collaboration with Geo-information
Science Division of CSKHP Agricultural University of India. The expertise from
ICIMOD, CAREERI, BHT, WRRP and CSKHPAU compiled a comprehensive inventory and
GIS database of glaciers and glacial lakes using available maps, satellite
images, data and reports on different scales.
Outline of activities conducted:
- Consultation meetings with the collaborating institutions
and agencies;
- Acquisition of satellite images of Landsat TM and ETM+, IRS
1C LISS3, CBERS and ASTER of the project areas;
- Acquisition of topographic
maps and other necessary data (e.g. meteorological and hydrological data);
- Development of training materials for the inventory of glaciers and glacial
lakes using Geographic Information System (GIS) and Remote Sensing (RS);
- Institutional capacities strengthened by training the participants of collaborating
institutions and agencies in ICIMOD;
- Provided GIS & RS software and other
technical support to participating institutions and agencies;
- On-the-job
training of professionals from the participating countries in their own institutions
and agencies on inventories of glaciers and glacial lakes using RS & GIS;
and
- Preparation of a digital database of glaciers, glacial lakes
and potentially dangerous glacial lakes of the Himachal Pradesh Himalaya
of India, sub-basins of the Ganges in P. R. China and the Indus basin of Pakistan
, using RS & GIS technologies.
Outcomes and products:
- Digital satellite images of Landsat7ETM+, IRS 1C LISS3, CBERS
and ASTER of the project areas;
- Digital topographic maps at the scale of
1:500,000 in the study areas;
- Upgrade/establishment of RS & GIS facilities
at the institutions and agencies involved;
- Training manual and materials
for the inventory and study of glaciers and glacial lakes using GIS and RS;
- Strengthened institutional capacities by holding training workshops at ICIMOD
for the collaborating institutions and agencies of India, Pakistan and P.
R. China in RS & GIS technology for the inventory of glaciers and
glacial lakes, 28 July- 8 August, 2003. Seven (7) participants from P.R.
China and TAR P.R. China, and two (2) each from India and Pakistan participated
in the workshop/training programme;
- ICIMOD provided on-the-job training for
six professionals of the Bureau of Hydrology Tibet (BHT), TAR P.R. China
during 9-23 August, 2003;
- Trained professionals of the participating countries
through on-the-job training in their own institutions and agencies for the
inventory of glaciers and glacial lakes using RS & GIS;
- Digital database
of glaciers and glacial lakes of the Himachal Pradesh Himalaya of India,
sub-basins of the Ganges of the Tibet Autonomous Region of P. R. China
and Indus basin of Pakistan; and
- Documentation of glaciers, glacial lakes and
potential GLOFs and associated hazards.
Future directions and follow-up work:
- Further institutional capacity strengthening by on-the-job
training of the participants from the collaborating institutions and agencies;
- Acquisition of necessary materials (e.g. satellite images, maps, data,
etc.);
- Preparation of digital database of glaciers and glacial lakes
of other basins in India, P. R. China ( Tibet region) and Pakistan using
RS & GIS
technologies;
- Establishment of analytical protocols and systems to identify
‘hot-spots' (existing and potentially dangerous glacial lake hazards),
and to regularize GLOF hazard studies;
- Analyse and synthesise the database
to locate hot-spots and potential GLOF circumstances, and dissemination of
the results to concerned agencies;
- Conduct rapid environmental change assessment
(RECA) studies on GLOF hazard risks and potential impacts;
- Prepare publication
of analytical studies and briefing papers for policy-makers/planners to be
presented at regional/international workshops and conferences. The papers
will highlight the potential GLOF hazards and risks and their potential impacts
and mitigation and will be presented by participating country organisations;
and
- Comprehensive communication and dissemination plan developed and implemented
based on the results and outputs of database analysis, to strengthen policy
and planning within relevant agencies, and to inform research institutions
and the public at national and regional levels.
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