The Green Climate Fund (GCF) has approved a $36.1 million grant to help Nepal reduce the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), a major and accelerating climate risk in the Himalayas. The approval marks a new chapter in how Nepal prepares for climate threats, shifting from reacting after floods to preventing them before they happen.
Led by Nepal's Department of Hydrology and Meteorology in partnership with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the new project will benefit around 2.3 million people living in vulnerable mountain regions.
Key components of the seven-year project include expanding and upgrading hazard monitoring and early warning systems; reducing water levels in four high-risk glacial lakes (Thulagi, Lower Barun, Lumding Tsho and Hongu 2); strengthening riverbanks and flood-prone areas through reforestation (over 150 hectares of trees) and protective infrastructure such as check dams and vegetative gabion walls; and helping national and local authorities, first responders and communities to plan and prepare for future risks.
"Following the successful interventions in Tsho Rolpa and Imja Glacial Lakes, the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), in partnership with UNDP, national institutions, and local stakeholders, is advancing a major initiative to reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in the Koshi and Gandaki river basins," said Mr Kamal Ram Joshi, Director General of Department of Hydrology and Meteorology at Nepal's Ministry of Energy, Water Resources and Irrigation. "This project aims to enhance the resilience in the most vulnerable Himalayan territory by protecting lives, livelihoods, and critical infrastructure in the region. Empowered with strong institutional capacity rooted at the local level, DHM is well-positioned to lead the initiative and ensure the sustainability of the program beyond the accomplishment of the project."
"2025 becomes a milestone year for the world's glaciers, the rapid retreat of Himalayan ice leaves no room for delay. With Himalayan glaciers retreating at an accelerating rate, immediate measures are critical for mountain communities' resilience", said Henry Gonzalez, Chief Investment Officer of the Green Climate Fund. "The project in Nepal will enhance GLOF early warning systems and nature-based solutions to mitigate glacier risks and create enabling environment for market opportunities. This initiative focuses on protecting vulnerable communities and infrastructure and establishing a replicable model for climate adaptation in mountain regions globally."
"UNDP welcomes the opportunity to partner with the Government of Nepal to tackle some of the most urgent and complex climate risks facing mountain regions today," said UNDP Resident Representative in Nepal, Kyoko Yokosuka. "Supported by the Green Climate Fund, this initiative represents a long-term investment to protect lives and strengthen resilience where it matters most. It is climate action that is both grounded and game changing."
The Himalayas are heating up, posing a rising threat not just to Nepal but to millions living downstream. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting faster than ever. This is causing glacial lakes to swell, increasing the risk of sudden, destructive floods. Nepal has more than 2,000 glacial lakes, of which 21 are considered potentially dangerous.
Combining early warning systems, engineering solutions and nature-based approaches to reduce the risk of glacial lake outburst floods, the project directly contributes to Nepal's adaptation priorities set out under its National Adaptation Plan (2021-2050) and Nationally Determined Contribution 3.0.
The project aims to catalyze future public and private investment in climate risk reduction, setting an example for other high mountain countries. With an additional $14 million in co-financing from the Government of Nepal and partners, the total funding for the project amounts to nearly $50 million.
The project is partnering with hydropower companies and the tourism sector to co-finance hydro-meteorological stations and early warning systems. It will work with private sector actors and local governments on community-based adaptation initiatives.
