GLOF Risk and Reduction Approaches in Pakistan

Abstract

The Hindu Kush, Karakoram and Himalayan ranges in Pakistan offer the most rugged and the hostile natural environment for the human colonies and settlements. This is mostly because of the ever fluctuating and proactive environmental and geo-morphological natural processes in these mountainous areas and partly because of the slow developmental activities due to the economic problems of the country. The unchecked increase in population is one of the major factors which are bringing the human populations closer to these natural processes and turning them into hazards. Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) is also one of the most common natural phenomenon in the Karakoram Himalayas of Pakistan. There are 2,600 glacial lakes in the upper catchments of major rivers of Pakistan and all the major lakes are proglacial in nature. These glacial lakes are the potential threats to all the ongoing developmental projects towards the near downstream area of the lakes, including various hydroelectric power projects, bridges, roads and the low lying population clusters. Five events of GLOFs were reported alone in 2008 from the Gojal village of Hunza valley causing considerable damage to the infrastructure of these areas. Although there were small-scale successful efforts of draining out few lakes in the Ghulkin Glacier by the local community but there is no comprehensive mitigation program available in Pakistan to reduce the risk posed by the GLOF hazard. The GLOF event may not always directly affect the human settlements but in some cases may cause secondary hazards just as it happened in case of Pingal Lake of Gupis Tehsil. This chapter presents the overall situation of GLOFs in Pakistan and the present safety system placed in the areas with GLOF risk. This chapter also includes discussion about the mitigation options to reduce the risk of this hazard in Pakistan. A comprehensive methodology is recommended in this chapter for the risk assessment of any remote glacial lake using the integrated approach of bringing the field data, numerical relations and the GIS and remote sensing together. The way-forward is proposed in-terms of how to handle this hazard in future to have the safer communities from the GLOF hazard in Pakistan.