Cross-border cooperation key to Himalayan disaster early warning

The recent debris flow that occurred on the Nepali side has underscored the urgent need for cross-border cooperation in disaster early warning, said Norbu Tsering, acting mayor of Shigatse, on Sunday.

Su Pengcheng, a researcher at the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, said that source zones of ice-rock avalanches at high altitudes are extremely difficult to access because of cold temperatures, low oxygen levels and rugged terrain.

Cross-border river basins also have observational blind spots, while ground equipment can suffer from power and communication problems. Precursor signals are often subtle, and warning windows can be only a matter of minutes — far too short for traditional single-point monitoring to cover entire watersheds, he said.

Given that climate change is accelerating such rare but severe events, it is essential to conduct risk assessments of glacier instability, fill upstream monitoring gaps and introduce new geophysical detection technologies for full-chain dynamic monitoring, Su said.

He proposed developing a "space-air-ground" noncontact monitoring network to reduce dependence on on-site stations at extreme altitudes. A tiered approach — involving wide-area satellite scanning, targeted high-resolution monitoring and downstream alert systems — could provide valuable additional time for evacuation, he said.

Su also called for cross-border scientific collaboration and joint early-warning mechanisms. Since disasters do not respect borders, he called for data exchanges and shared risk assessments with Himalayan nations through existing international platforms. He also urged the creation of rapid notification channels to extend early warnings across entire upstream-downstream basins.

Norbu said the Xizang autonomous region has invested heavily in glacial-lake monitoring in recent years. A baseline survey using satellite imagery, fieldwork and glacier data identified more than 33,000 glacial lakes across the region.

Authorities have placed 187 high-risk lakes under satellite monitoring, with 49 of those also covered by ground sensors and drone surveillance, he said.

A multi-agency data-sharing platform now links meteorological, hydrological, natural resources and emergency departments. Expert panels regularly review glacial-lake risks, and a short-term early-warning system has been activated, along with evacuation drills for downstream communities during the flood season, he said.