Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal

The document outlines a $63 million project in Nepal designed to mitigate the risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and other climate-induced hazards. It proposes strengthening the institutional capacity of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and other agencies to provide risk information and early warning services. Key interventions include the lowering of four high-risk glacial lakes, the construction of check dams, and the implementation of ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) through community forestry. The project aims to benefit 327,500 people, particularly indigenous communities, by integrating centralized and community-based early warning systems and developing sustainable financing mechanisms for monitoring networks.

• Climate change is accelerating the melting of Himalayan glaciers in Nepal, leading to an increase in the number and size of glacial lakes and a higher risk of catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs).
• Of the 1,466 glacial lakes in the Nepal Himalaya, 21 are identified as serious threats to approximately 327,500 people in downstream communities.
• Nepal faces significant institutional and technical barriers to GLOF risk management, including a lack of comprehensive climate risk data, insufficient monitoring station density in the High Himalayas, and fragmented mandates between government agencies.
• The project will implement direct structural risk reduction by lowering the water levels of the four highest-risk glacial lakes and constructing check dams to divert GLOF flows and protect downstream assets.
• A key component of the adaptation strategy is the deployment of a multi-hazard early warning system (EWS) that integrates centralized forecasting with community-based mechanisms in at least 100 communities.
• The project employs ecosystem-based adaptation (EbA) by scaling up community forestry management to stabilize soils and reduce runoff, which helps minimize debris transport during high-intensity floods.
• Climate-induced hazards in Nepal cause substantial economic losses, with annual damages from climate-related hazards estimated at 1.5-2% of GDP ($270-360 million USD), projected to rise to 2-3% of GDP by mid-century.
• The hydropower sector is particularly vulnerable, with 177 hydropower plants (approximately one in five in the Himalaya) located in the path of a GLOF as of 2016.
• The project seeks a total indicative cost of $63 million, requesting $23 million in grants from the GCF, with the remainder provided as co-financing from the Government of Nepal and the GEF-LDCF.

APA

Green Climate Fund (2018). Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/19170-protecting-livelihoods-and-assets-risk-climate-change-induced-flooding-glacial-river-basins.pdf

Chicago

Green Climate Fund. Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal. 2018. https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/19170-protecting-livelihoods-and-assets-risk-climate-change-induced-flooding-glacial-river-basins.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green Climate Fund |title=Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal |date=14 February 2018 |url=https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/19170-protecting-livelihoods-and-assets-risk-climate-change-induced-flooding-glacial-river-basins.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greenclimatefund2018protecting, author = {{Green Climate Fund}}, title = {{Protecting livelihoods and assets at risk from climate change induced flooding in glacial river basins of Nepal}}, institution = {Green Climate Fund}, year = {2018}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greenclimate.fund/sites/default/files/document/19170-protecting-livelihoods-and-assets-risk-climate-change-induced-flooding-glacial-river-basins.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }