Glacial Lake Outburst Flood Risk Assessment: Applied Field Workshop and Monitoring at Drang Drung Glacier

About the applied field workshop

The applied field workshop builds on previous training on “Upstream and downstream GLOF hazard and risk assessment”. The workshop focusing on HEC-RAS GLOF modelling will train participants to assess lake stability, develop simplified breach scenarios, and interpret flood propagation results for hazard mapping and decision support.

Participants will collect lake bathymetry data using a high-resolution sonar system mounted on a remote-controlled boat and gather geomorphic data through UAV surveys and dGPS measurements.

The applied field workshop will be conducted under natural field conditions at the proglacial lake of the Drang Drung Glacier in Zanskar, India. As a first-of-its-kind workshop, it will be piloted in India and, if successful, replicated through similar workshops in other Regional Member Countries (RMCs).

This activity aims to strengthen hands-on skills among hydrologists, engineers, disaster risk reduction officials, and early-career researchers through lectures, field observations, and practical modelling exercises to enhance operational readiness for GLOF risk management.

Objectives

• Build essential skills for developing and running basic GLOF models using HEC-RAS.
• Demonstrate the full workflow from field observation to data preparation, model setup, scenario development, and hazard interpretation.
• Strengthen participants’ ability to use model outputs for planning, emergency response, and risk communication.
• Strengthen participants’ ability to collect high-altitude glacier data through specialised safety training.
• Develop a small regional pool of practitioners who can support national DRR agencies and hydropower authorities.
• Identify suitable sites for installing AWS and black carbon monitoring equipment on Drang Drung Glacier.

Expected participants

Eight participants will be selected from Indian institutions based on their involvement in glacier hazard modelling. Two additional participants will be selected from the ICIMOD-supported Master’s programmes at Kathmandu University and Tribhuvan University.

The training will cover essential glacier safety protocols and basic first aid in glacier environments. As a moderately sized glacier with varied surface conditions, Drang Drung provides an ideal setting for hands-on safety training.

Background

Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are becoming increasingly frequent across the Himalaya due to accelerated glacier melt, unstable moraine dams, extreme rainfall events, and cascading ice–rock avalanches. Recent disasters, including the Chamoli disaster and South Lhonak GLOF, have highlighted the urgent need to strengthen rapid flood modelling, hazard assessment, early warning systems, and resilient infrastructure planning across the region.

Despite growing risks, technical capacity for field data collection and GLOF modelling remains limited. Many agencies still require practical expertise in collecting critical field data, including lake bathymetry and geomorphic information using Differential Global Positioning System (dGPS) and Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) surveys.

Funding and acknowledgements

This fieldwork is organised by ICIMOD’s Cryosphere intervention under the Climate and Environment Risks Strategic Group. The activity is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). ICIMOD gratefully acknowledges IIT Indore, IIT Bombay and IIT Bhubaneswar for supporting this workshop.