Nepal publishes hydrometeorological white paper and plans to strengthen flood early warning and glacial lake risk management

China News Service, Kathmandu, October 26 (Reporter Cui Nan) Nepal's Hydrology and Meteorology Department released two white papers on hydrology and meteorology on the 25th, proposing to strengthen flood warnings in six river basins, reduce the water levels of four high-risk glacial lakes, and improve disaster prevention capabilities.

According to a report by the "Kathmandu Post" on the 26th, the relevant glacial lakes are located in the three counties of Manang, Sankuwasaba and Solukhumbu. The planned implementation period of the Glacial Lake Risk Management Project is from 2026 to 2033, with a budget of approximately US$49.9 million. The project will draw on previous experience in lowering the water levels of Lake Tsorolpa and Lake Inja to reduce the threat of glacial lake outburst to downstream residents and infrastructure.

The expansion of flood warning systems in six river basins is included in a flood risk management project starting in 2022 and running until 2028 with a budget of US$7.54 million.

The Nigerian government also plans to develop new flood forecasting models for the Karnali and Gandaki river basins during the current financial year.

According to a report by Nepal's "Republic" on the 25th, Nepal's hydrological and meteorological department proposed to gradually upgrade the country's 503 artificial weather stations to automatic stations, introduce artificial intelligence, machine learning and high-performance computing technology to improve forecast accuracy, and plans to add weather radars in the Kathmandu Valley.

The white paper also proposes to issue early warnings through channels such as toll-free telephones, mobile applications and social media, and strengthen coordination between hydrological and meteorological departments and local governments to ensure that risk information is conveyed to threatened areas in a timely manner.