CAUGHT UNAWARES

In a rapidly changing climate, early warning systems are a critical, cost-effective way of protecting people from extreme weather. But effective implementation of the system to protect every person on Earth by 2027, as envisioned by the UN, is a huge task. Countries highly vulnerable to climate change impacts lack the know-how or finance. Technologies, too, need upgrading to accurately predict disasters.

- AKSHIT SANGOMLA, RIVONALA RAZAFISON, TONY MALESI, MEKONNEN TESHOMEand BENNETT OGHIFO

THE LIVES could have been saved and the losses could have been avoided. But on the night of October 3, when South Lhonak glacial lake in the Sikkim Himalayas burst its banks following incessant rains, and a huge volume of water and debris came gushing down the valley of the Teesta river, people living in the downstream areas were caught unawares. Within 10 minutes, it smashed the concrete dam of Teesta-III hydroelectric project, releasing even more water and debris that caused mayhem in further downstream areas. Despite being a sparsely populated area, nearly 100 people, including army personnel, have died and dozens are missing in this glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF).

Government agencies and researchers had repeatedly warned of such an event in the last decade. The latest word of caution came from a group of scientists in September 2021, who in the journal Geomorphology said that of the 14 potentially critical lakes in the Sikkim Himalayan region, South Lhonak is "potentially dangerous with high outburst probability".