Reducing climate change risks and vulnerabilities from glacial lake outburst floods

An international conference on the topic ‘Glacial Lake Outburst Floods – Experience from Bhutan” is planned under the NAPA follow-up project “Reducing Climate Change-induced Risks and Vulnerabilities of GLOF (2008 – mid-2013)” to further facilitate sharing of project lessons and application of these in future interventions in Bhutan and other GLOF prone countries in the region and beyond. The conference will also consider/deliberate on recommendations and resolutions from similar past and ongoing initiatives such as the “Bhutan Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas” held in Bhutan in November 2011 and the “Regional Knowledge Sharing for Effective Risk Management of Hydro-meteorological hazards in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan Region” held in Kathmandu in March 2012.

Objectives

The first objective is to enhance learning and knowledge exchange, enabling the replication of effective disaster risk reduction measures and adaptation to climate change both within Bhutan and with other countries facing climate change-induced GLOF risks

The second objective is to facilitate information sharing and cooperation through sharing of technical lessons from Bhutan with other GLOF-prone countries, based on experience of project implementing partners and an independent review conducted in Sept-Oct 2012 in the following areas:

• Community Based Disaster Risk Management Approach
• Artificial Glacial Lake Lowering and Management
• Transportation,Health & Safety in remote high-altitude environments
• Environmental Impact, Multi-disciplinary team and workforce management
• Automatic and Community-based Early Warning System
• Present regional and international experiences and best practices through invitation of international experts from other GLOF-prone countries;
• Discuss approaches and opportunities for sustainability, replication and up-scaling of project interventions in Bhutan and other GLOF-prone countries;
• Discuss linkages with regional initiatives such as the Bhutan Climate Summit, regional risk reduction and Early-Warning System-initiatives, etc. and follow-up on the “Regional Knowledge Sharing for Effective Risk Management of Hydro-meteorological hazards in the Hindu-Kush-Himalayan Region” held in March 2012;
• Recommendations for way forward on GLOF risk reduction and management, including early warning system and communication, and knowledge management and information sharing.
• Development of a SAARC Road Map on GLOF Risk Reduction (discussions to be attended by SAARC member states only)

Target audience

Among others, the conference will be attended by representatives of SAARC member states. Following the international conference and back-to-back with the conference, SAARC member states will meet to deliberate on issues of mutual interests and come up with a SAARC Road Map on GLOF Risk Reduction in South Asia.