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

Flood warning system at Everest glacial lake left to rust since 2016, putting thousands at risk, locals say. | Contesto: cronaca

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

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A multi-million dollar flood warning system designed to protect communities below Mount Everest from catastrophic glacial lake outbursts has been left to rust and has not been maintained since 2016, fearful local residents have told the BBC. The system, installed at Imja glacial lake in Nepal, was intended to provide early alerts to thousands of people living in the valleys downstream, but its deterioration now raises serious concerns about their safety as the lake continues to grow due to rising global temperatures. Imja glacial lake, located at an altitude of over 5,000 meters in the Everest region, has been identified by scientists as one of the most dangerous in the Himalayas. It formed as a result of melting glaciers and has expanded significantly in recent decades. The warning system, funded by international donors and costing millions of dollars, was installed after a 2014 study warned that a sudden breach of the lake's natural moraine dam could unleash a wall of water and debris, destroying villages, infrastructure, and farmland along the Dudh Koshi River valley. Local residents and community leaders interviewed by the BBC expressed growing anxiety over the lack of maintenance. They reported that the system's sensors, cables, and communication equipment have fallen into disrepair, with no visible efforts made by authorities to restore them. The system was designed to detect changes in water level, temperature, and seismic activity, and to send automatic alerts to authorities and communities. Without it, residents say they are left with no reliable means of receiving timely warnings in the event of a sudden flood. The failure to maintain the system highlights broader challenges in managing glacial lake risks in the Himalayas, where climate change is accelerating glacial melt and increasing the number and size of potentially dangerous lakes. Experts have repeatedly called for sustained investment in monitoring and early warning infrastructure, but funding and political will often wane after initial installation. In the case of Imja, the system's abandonment appears to have been driven by a combination of bureaucratic inertia, lack of local ownership, and...

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Categoria: cronaca