High Mountain Hazards in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand has a long history of natural disasters that seriously threaten the people and infrastructure in the downstream regions. Several studies have demonstrated extreme monsoon rain events in the Uttarakhand Himalaya triggered flash floods, landslides, and landslide-dammed lake outburst floods. The rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers and extreme rainfall above 3000 m asl. regions have enhanced the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and debris flow events because of unstable moraines and surrounding slopes. Such events alter the morphology of the local landscape, which commonly impacts biodiversity. These disasters also caused significant damage to infrastructure and the livelihoods of several downstream settlements. Therefore, this paper documented high mountain hazards in Uttarakhand and presented some important case studies.