Nagaland University-led project to assess stability of high-altitude lakes in Sikkim, Arunachal

Kohima, July 28 A Nagaland University-led research project is developing a "detailed, near-accurate inventory and stability assessment" of high-altitude lakes in Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, officials said on Monday.

According to a University official, the research project would focus on Tenbawa Lake’s Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) potential and Holocene Climate linkages in Sikkim and two other glacial lakes in Arunachal Pradesh.

The researchers intend to identify ‘Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes’ using high-resolution data and analyse geomorphology, permafrost and slope instability in the Tawang region of Arunachal Pradesh and in the Lachung basin of north Sikkim under two separate projects.

The risk from sudden lake outbursts would be quantified through bathymetric surveys and 2D/3D flood modelling from select lakes in the Tawang region.

Bathymetric surveys are specialised hydrographic surveys that map the depths and shapes of underwater terrain. The process provides detailed information about the underwater topography of a water body.

The project also seeks to identify ecological risks, knowledge gaps and ecosystem services related to high-altitude lakes under the contemporary climate change, as well as the assessment of stored fresh water resources, the official said.

He said that the results of this investigation/research would be shared with policymakers, planners and developers for a holistic development along the banks of the streams and rivers to mitigate the impact of devastation on account of a ‘Glacial Lake Outburst Flood’ event, thus saving the post-disaster haphazard rescues, insurances and rebuilding of structures.

This project, led by the varsity's Assistant Professor, Department of Geography, Dr Manasi Debnath, who is the Principal Investigator, is funded by the Union Ministries of Earth Sciences and Environment, Forest, and Climate Change. There are Co-Principal Investigators from the Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, the Sikkim University, the National Institute of Himalayan Environment, Itanagar, and the Inter-University Accelerator Centre (IUAC), Delhi.

Highlighting the need for such studies, Nagaland University Vice-Chancellor, Prof Jagadish K Patnaik, said: "Nagaland University takes great pride in leading a critical research initiative aimed at developing a detailed and near-accurate inventory and stability assessment of high-altitude lakes in the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas."

This multidisciplinary project focuses on understanding the GLOF potential of Tenbawa Lake and its linkages to Holocene Climate variations, he said.

Prof Patnaik said that such scientific efforts are vital in addressing the increasing environmental vulnerabilities in the eastern Himalayas, enhancing preparedness for natural hazards, and deepening our understanding of past climate dynamics. This project is a testament to Nagaland University's commitment to advancing frontier research for societal and ecological resilience in the Northeast region and beyond, he added.

Elaborating on the focus areas of this project, Dr Debnath said: "We are working to create a precise inventory of glacial lakes in the eastern Himalaya (North Sikkim and Arunachal Himalaya) and evaluate the dangerous lakes in terms of breach potential and volume of discharge. These would be carried out using high spatial resolution satellite images, and necessary field validation and measurement for the potential lakes."

Highlighting what makes this research unique, she said that they proposed to assess the glacial lakes of Arunachal and Sikkim, which have not been studied in detail for breach characteristics and area being impacted due to inundation at the time of GLOF, the length and reaches affected.

"Since the assessment of the Arunachal glacial lakes is at the headwaters of the Brahmaputra, any lake breach can be devastating in terms of the length of reach. In Sikkim, the ecological impacts under such circumstances are also being studied at the Lachung sub-basin level. Palaeo-hazard analysis at the Lachung sub-basin in the Sikkim Himalaya aids in comparing past and present GLOF frequencies at the basin scale," she said.

The geographical peculiarity of these glacial lakes, the impact of climate change on the thawing mechanism of permafrost, and a regional pattern in terms of the rate of recessions and ice loss in glaciers of the eastern Himalaya in comparison to the western Himalaya and the rest of high Asia are focus areas.

Drone mapping and bathymetry surveys of the glaciers and glacial lakes would help produce a near-accurate database for modelling of possible related disasters for robust development along the reaches of the streams emanating from these glaciers and lakes, and the river downstream.

Palaeo-studies aim to infer the extent of climate change in the geological past, helping to understand the current debate between human-induced and natural climate variability. This project would further help in the development of the newly established lab named ‘Glacier and Mountain Research Lab’ in Nagaland University's Geography Department, the varsity official said.

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