Nagaland University leads research to assess high-altitude lake stability in Sikkim, Arunachal
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Guwahati: A research initiative led by Nagaland University (NU) is creating a detailed, near-accurate inventory and stability analysis of high-altitude lakes in the Sikkim and Arunachal Himalayas.
NU on Monday said the study will evaluate Tenbawa Lake's potential for Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) and Holocene Climate connections, which began roughly 11,700 years ago, in Sikkim, alongside two glacial lakes in Arunachal Pradesh.
The researchers said drone mapping and bathymetry surveys of the glaciers and glacial lakes would help produce a near-accurate database for modelling possible related disasters.
This is crucial for robust development along the reaches of the streams emanating from these glaciers and lakes, and the river downstream. An NU spokesperson said, "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.
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The scientific team aims to locate 'Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes' using advanced data and study the geomorphology, permafrost conditions, and slope instability in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang region and North Sikkim's Lachung basin through separate research endeavours.
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The risk from sudden lake outbursts will 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 study aims to assess environmental risks, knowledge limitations, and ecosystem services associated with high-altitude lakes under current climate change conditions, while evaluating stored freshwater resources.
"The results of this investigation/research will be shared with policymakers, planners, and developers for 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," said an NU spokesperson on Monday.
The Union govt, through its ministry of earth sciences and ministry of environment, forest and climate change, has funded this initiative.
Manasi Debnath from NU leads the project as principal investigator.
Prof Jagadish K Patnaik, vice-chancellor of NU, 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 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) potential of Tenbawa Lake and its linkages to Holocene Climate variations.
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He further added: "Such scientific efforts are vital in addressing the increasing environmental vulnerabilities in the eastern Himalayas, enhancing our 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.
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Manasi Debnath explained that her team is 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," said Debnath.
She added: "We propose 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."
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