Future Sustainability Challenges in Hindu Kush-Himalaya - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 245

Figure 10.14. A catastrophic fl ood and debris fi lled the channel of Nepal's Seti River. Flood
contained a mixture of mud, sand, gravel and rocks, saturated with water was triggered by a
rock fall on May 5, 2012 (Source: NASA image by Jesse Allen and Robert Simmon using EO-1
ALI data (NASA Earth Observatory)).
region (Fig. 10.15). Many glacial lakes in Nepal and Bhutan are growing
considerably increasing a threat of GLOF. In Nepal, 24 GLOF events have
occurred in the recent past, causing considerable loss of life and property.
However, there are projects in Nepal and Bhutan now underway to lower
water levels of potentially dangerous lakes to minimize the risk of GLOF
(NAS 2012).
Case study 2: Indus Flood (Figs. 10.16-10.19)
About 20 million people in Pakistan has been affected by the intense
monsoon rains in 2010, a fi fth of the country was submerged, and extensive
damage to agricultural lands, about 10% of the country's cotton crop was
fl ooded and one-fi fth of the rice crop. The rain was 70% and 102% above
normal in July and August. Dam failure in Sindh caused fl ooding to the
west of the valley. Flood covered at least 37,280 sq km of Pakistan, caused
1,985 deaths, and damaged 1.7 million houses (NASA Earth Observatory).