Update
The Cost of Climate Change
Thorthormi glacial lake in Bhutan
VIDEO
International effort to drain dangerous Bhutan lake underlines costs and risks of climate change
Recently WWF and partners undertook a risky operation to drain Thorthormi Glacial Lake in Bhutan. Thorthormi lake is perched at 14,527 feet above sea level in the remote Lunana area of northern Bhutan. Because of climate change, melt water has swollen this glacial lake. Rated as one of Bhutan’s likeliest future catastrophes, an outburst flood through Thorthormi’s unstable walls would release up to 14 million gallons of water and debris into the upper catchment of the Po Chu river and surrounding communities.
Draining the glacial lake was the first phase of an international project to reduce the risk to communities living in the nearby Bhutan valley. A team of over 300 workers from 20 districts of Bhutan and from all walks of life -- tourist guides, farmers, women and yak herders -- walked for up to 10 days to reach the site and dig and realign existing outlet channels to safely drain water from the lake. The team braved thin and frigid air and harsh weather conditions including the assault of Cyclone ‘Aila’ in May 2009. Heavy rains from the cyclone damaged access to the site and required immediate repairs before work could continue.
The Cost of Climate Change
The story of Thorthormi glacial lake in Bhutan
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The bad weather and extreme climatic conditions forced the team to lower their drainage goal for the first stage one to one meter (about 3 feet) from the original goal of 1.67 meters (about 5.5 feet). At the close of this year’s drainage season the team had managed to lower the water level by 86 cms (just under 3 feet). The work will resume next spring and will continue until 2012, with a goal of lowering the water level by 5 meters (over 16 feet).
Catastrophic consequences
Climate change in the region will bring about extensive fragmentation and alteration of the habitats of the charismatic snow leopard, seriously impacting their fitness and survival.
© Klein & Hubert/ WWF
The valley still bears the scars of a smaller Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) in 1994 that took more than 20 lives, devastated villages and wrecked transport and power facilities.
Monitoring has been more intense since the 1994 disaster and shows the effects of climate change. Thorthormi Glacier had no melt pools in the 1950s. The lake has nearly tripled in size since 2001, while the moraine dam holding it in has halved its height at its tallest point over roughly the same period.
A GLOF from Thorthormi would include crop destruction and livestock losses over more than half of the fertile and economically critical Punakha and Wangdi valleys, as well as the loss of bridges, roads and damage to hydropower facilities under construction.
The Royal Government of Bhutan is monitoring the growth of the glacial lake with Japanese assistance. The drainage project is a large effort by the government, communities and WWF, supported by the Global Environment Facility (GEF), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Austrian Coordination Bureau.
Learn more:
The Cost of Climate Change: The Story of Thorthormi Glacial Lake in Bhutan reports on the project and the growing risk to Himalayan nations by glacial lake outburst events. The report notes that although Thorthormi is the largest and most dangerous of the new lakes, some 16 new glaciers and 82 glacial lakes have formed in Po Chu headwaters alone as a result of climate change. Read the report
Eastern Himalayas
Few places on Earth can match the breathtaking splendor of the Himalayas. Its diverse landscapes harbor exotic creatures such as red pandas, snow leopards and one-horned rhinos. Although this region has been romanticized as a mythical paradise, it is a fragile land facing many challenges. Almost 67% of the glaciers in the Himalayas have retreated as a result of climate change. Learn more
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