Risk perception and vulnerability of communities in Nepal to transboundary glacial lake outburst floods from Tibet, China

Transboundary glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) pose severe risks to downstream communities and infrastructure across international borders. However, previous GLOF research has largely overlooked the transboundary aspects of national and sub-national level GLOFs, focusing instead mostly on inventorying glacial lakes and assessing their hazards.

The lack of cross-border coordination could have dire consequences for vulnerable communities and potential disaster preparedness. Assessing risk perception and vulnerability among downstream populations exposed to GLOFs is crucial for effective disaster risk reduction and management. This study examined the risk perception and vulnerabilities of Nepali communities in Bhotekoshi/Sunkoshi (Poiqu in Tibet) and Trishuli (Gyirong in Tibet) river basins, exposed to transboundary GLOFs originating from Tibetan basins.

The study presents the following highlights:

• GLOFs from Tibet, China impact downstream Nepal.
• People risk perception corroborates with GLOF frequency.
• Communities in Nepal are medium to highly vulnerable to transboundary GLOFs.
• GLOF awareness and transboundary cooperation decreases vulnerability.