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Nepal to Drain Four Dangerous Glacial Lakes After Deadly Floods
M
Moneycontrol•02-10-2026, 22:29
Nepal to Drain Four Dangerous Glacial Lakes After Deadly Floods
- •Nepal will undertake a high-stakes project to drain four glacial lakes to mitigate flood risks after a recent disaster killed over 1,400 people.
- •The project targets Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu II lakes, located at altitudes between 4,050m and 5,483m, identified as potentially dangerous.
- •The $50-million initiative, funded by the Green Climate Fund, UNDP, and the government, will involve draining water into rivers via canals.
- •The draining process, which includes installing sensors and a flood warning system, could take up to six years to complete after detailed studies.
- •This effort follows previous successful projects to lower glacial lake levels, such as Tsho Rolpa in 2000 and Imja 10 years ago.
Key Questions Answered
Nepal is planning to target the central and eastern lakes of Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho, and Hongu II for its new drainage project.
The $50-million project will be funded by the Green Climate Fund, the UNDP, and the government of Nepal.
The draining work through gated structures will start after a detailed study and could take up to six years to complete.
