Nepal plans to drain four dangerous glacial lakes after deadly flash flood

Nepal is set to begin draining four high-altitude glacial lakes in an effort to reduce flood risks, as the country recovers from the recent catastrophic deadly flood that killed more than 1,400 people.

Rescue operations to find the more than 5,000 people missing after August's glacier are ongoing, after glacial collapse created a cascade of landslides and a flash flood that tore through valleys and swept away roads, bridges and buildings on the Nepal-Tibet border.

Subash Tuladhar, an expert with a government research centre tasked with overseeing the ​new project, said its goal is to significantly reduce ​the threat of future disastrous floods.

"Our aim is to lower the risk of the lakes breaching their natural ​dams and reduce the risk of downstream floods," he said.

Water will be drained through canals into nearby rivers in a regulated way, Mr Tuladhar said.

Workers still faced ⁠health risks due to the lengthy periods of high-altitude work, as well as the dangers of sudden flooding.

Design work and detailed ​studies targeting the central and eastern lakes of Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho and Hongu II, will start before July 2027, authorities said.

The lakes range from 4,050m to 5,483m - 13,280ft to 18,000ft - and rank among Nepal's most potentially dangerous, the United Nations Development Programme and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a 2020 report.

Water will be drained "through gated structures", which requires a detailed study that can take up to six years to complete, Sanjeeb Baral, the centre's executive ‌director, said.

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Ten years ago, Nepal lowered the Imja in the vicinity of Mount Everest, the world's tallest peak.

The level of the central Himalayan glacial lake of Tsho Rolpa was also lowered by 3m.

However, there is still threat of these lakes flooding.

Last month, Nepal's prime minister Balendra Shah scolded world leaders at the UN, saying the deadly flood was a reminder that climate change continues to harm people who aren't major contributors.

Nepal contributes less than 0.1% of global greenhouse gas emissions, while its neighbours India and China are among the world's biggest emitters.

Retreating glaciers, unstable mountain slopes and increasingly unpredictable rivers showed Nepal was paying a heavy price, he added.

Climate scientists say as temperatures rise, glaciers in the Himalayas retreat, leaving behind unstable glacial lakes held back by little more than loose rock ⁠and ice, where millions who live in valleys vulnerable.

(c) Sky News 2026: Nepal plans to drain four dangerous glacial lakes after deadly flash flood