Significant rise in flood frequency in High Mountain Asia since 2000 due to climate change: Study

New Delhi: According to a new study, the frequency of floods in High Mountain Asia (HMA) has increased significantly since 2000 due to climate change. A study conducted by a team of scientists, including environmental expert Sonam Wangchuk, analyzed 1,015 floods since 1950.
Since 1950, the average temperature of the region has steadily increased, warming at a rate of 0.3 ° C per decade. Scientists said that in the meantime, rainfall patterns have changed from complex ways, both in terms of places and time.
He said that it is rapidly warming, with the transfer of rain patterns, affecting the water cycle of the area and increasing the risks of floods.
“In terms of temporary trends, the frequency of flood incidents since 2000 has generally increased compared to the earlier period, Pluvial floods and snowmelt floods The authors said, “demonstrating higher growth.
The International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said in a statement, “The study confirms that the frequency of floods has increased, but a significant additional discovery is an increase in unexpectedness in the flood time: while most of the events continue to occur during the monsoon, the number of floods outside these times is a significant increase.”
HMA, also known as the ‘Asian Water Tower’, is the largest source of frozen water outside the polar regions. It feeds 10 major rivers that support more than 2 billion people. Due to its high altitude and huge ice cover, HMA is extremely sensitive to climate change.
Earlier studies suggest that the temperature in the region is doubled by the global average, changing the pattern of rain. This has increased the risk of floods, especially the glaciers lake outburst floods (gloffs), which are becoming more common.
For example, in the summer of 2023, more than 1,500 people were killed in the monsoon-trigger floods in the southern Himalayas of India, Nepal and Pakistan.
ICIMOD said that the study confirms that the frequency of floods in oil, coal and gas burning area is increasing.
The most common type of flood is caused by heavy rains and melting ice. Less frequent and more sudden and disastrous are the outbreak of gloff and landslide lake floods (LLOFS).
The ICIMOD stated that the population growth and expansion infrastructure are increasing in contact with flood risks, rising temperatures remain the main factors behind all four types of floods.
“Flood rules are changing and the window is closing for adaptation,” Wangchuk warned.
He warned that a single monsoon can trigger cloudbukes or glacial collapse disastrous disasters, heavy to untrained areas.
“We should prefer real-time monitoring of floods in weak valleys, prohibit infrastructure projects in high-risk areas and strengthen data-sharing agreements between high mountain Asia countries to address transboundary hazards,” he said.
The authors said that while climate change all types of floods are deteriorating, each type has unique triggers.
Report writer Dongfeng Lee, chief investigator of Cryosphere and River Lab at Packing University, said, “While the results of pluvial and snowmelt floods result in excessive rainfall, snowomelt floods are inspired by rising temperature and increased soil moisture. In contrast, shaped by constructive interaction between glom and lolofs.
Human activities are making the risk of flood worse. He said that rapid urbanization, deforestation and construction in flood-affected areas are reducing natural buffers and increasing weaknesses, he said.