Topic analysis

Thousands at risk after multi-million dollar Everest flood warning system left to rust

A $3.5 million UN-supported early flood warning system for Imja Glacial Lake in Nepal's Everest region, installed after the lake was drained in 2016 to reduce outburst flood risk, has fallen into complete disrepair due to lack of government funding and ongoing maintenance, putting thousands of local Sherpa residents and more than 60,000 annual tourists at risk of catastrophic flooding amplified by accelerating Himalayan glacier melt from climate change. Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology has pledged to redirect resources to repair the system, while the UNDP notes it has incorporated lessons from the Imja system's failure into a new $36 million glacial risk reduction program covering four other sites in Nepal.