Nepal plans to drain four glacial lakes after deadly flood disaster

Nepal is preparing a multi-year project to drain four high-altitude glacial lakes after a deadly flood disaster in the Nepal-Tibet border region. Officials say the work is intended to reduce the risk of lake breaches and limit the chance of further downstream flooding. The lakes named for the first phase of the project are Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho and Hongu II.

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The plan will use gated structures to release water in a controlled way into nearby rivers, but only after detailed studies are completed. Authorities said design work and technical assessments are due to begin in the fiscal year running until mid-July 2027. The project could take up to six years to finish, according to the officials quoted in the supporting material.

Subash Tuladhar, an expert with a government research centre overseeing the project, said the aim is to lower the risk of the lakes breaching their natural dams. He said the work is also meant to reduce downstream flood danger. Sanjeeb Baral, the executive director of the centre, said the project will include sensors, a flood forecasting and warning system, and efforts to strengthen downstream resilience.

The announcement comes after a disaster that killed more than 1,400 people and left more than 5,000 missing in the border region with China. High-resolution satellite imagery has confirmed that structures and settlements in the flood path were wiped out. Thick mud and debris from the torrent have also complicated recovery efforts, underscoring the scale of the damage.

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The lakes targeted for drainage sit at elevations ranging from 4,050 metres to 5,483 metres and are described in a 2020 report by the United Nations Development Programme and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development as among Nepal's most potentially dangerous. The project is expected to be funded by the Green Climate Fund, the UNDP and the Nepalese government. Officials say Nepal has the skills and experience needed for the work, but the high-altitude setting and the risk of sudden flooding will make the operation difficult.

What remains unclear is how quickly the detailed studies can be completed and when physical work will begin on each lake. It is also not yet clear how the project will be sequenced across the four sites or how communities downstream will be supported during the process. The coming months will show whether the planned engineering measures can be delivered within the projected six-year timeframe.

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