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| GLACIORISK | |
|---|---|
| Name | GLACIORISK |
| Established | 2010s |
| Type | International research initiative |
| Fields | Glaciology; Climate science; Hazard assessment |
GLACIORISK GLACIORISK is an international research initiative that assesses glacier-related hazards and vulnerability. It synthesizes observations from field campaigns, satellite programs, and global models to produce risk assessments used by scientists, policymakers, and humanitarian agencies. The initiative engages with a wide array of institutions, research networks, and multilateral organizations to translate glacier science into operational risk information.
GLACIORISK was developed through collaborations among institutions such as the United Nations agencies, the World Meteorological Organization, the United Nations Environment Programme, research centers like the British Antarctic Survey and the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and universities including University of Cambridge, University of Colorado Boulder, and ETH Zurich. Its datasets draw on satellite missions and programs including Landsat, Sentinel-2, Terra, ICESat-2, and the Global Land Ice Measurements from Space consortium. Stakeholder engagement has involved national agencies such as US Geological Survey, Geological Survey of India, SENAMHI, and regional bodies like the European Commission and the African Union.
GLACIORISK aims to quantify glacier instability, exposure, and downstream vulnerability across mountain ranges and polar regions. The initiative targets glaciers in the Himalayas, the Andes, the Alps, the Tibetan Plateau, the Alaska Range, the Patagonian Ice Fields, and the Svalbard archipelago, linking outputs to disaster reduction frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction and the Paris Agreement. Partners include scientific programs like the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and operational services such as the European Space Agency, with local implementation by institutions like the Kathmandu University and the Instituto Geofísico del Perú.
GLACIORISK integrates remote sensing, field glaciology, hydrological modelling, and hazard mapping. Remote-sensing inputs use products from MODIS, ASTER, GRACE, and RADARSAT alongside airborne surveys by institutions like the U.S. National Science Foundation-supported programs. Process models incorporate ice-flow dynamics from frameworks developed at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, mass-balance methods used by World Glacier Monitoring Service, and hydrological routing employed by groups at University of Bristol and Columbia University. Probabilistic hazard modelling leverages statistical approaches from European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts ensembles and machine-learning tools originating in research hubs such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Carnegie Mellon University.
GLACIORISK produces indicators including glacier retreat rate, surface thinning, lake growth, surge probability, and debris-cover change. Analyses echo conclusions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change regarding accelerated cryospheric change and are consistent with observations from Paleoclimatology reconstructions at sites like Greenland Ice Sheet and Antarctic Peninsula. Key hazard signals identified include rapid proglacial lake formation seen in the Cordillera Blanca, speed-up events analogous to those documented in Svalbard outlets, and surge-style dynamics comparable to historic events in the Karakoram. These indicators are cross-validated with case studies reported by institutions such as International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and National Aeronautics and Space Administration research teams.
Regional products provide risk maps for basins in the Himalaya fed by glaciers like those on Mount Everest, river systems such as the Ganges and Brahmaputra, Andean basins including the Santa River and Maipo River, and alpine catchments in the Rhône and Inn valleys. Arctic assessments cover glacier complexes in Greenland, Svalbard, and northern Norway while Antarctic outputs target ice shelves around Pine Island Glacier and Thwaites Glacier. National partners include agencies like SENAMHI, Bolivia's SENAMHI, and the China Meteorological Administration, which ground-truth GLACIORISK products with field observations from institutes such as Tribhuvan University and Instituto Geográfico Militar (Peru).
GLACIORISK links glacier change to downstream effects on rivers, reservoirs, irrigation systems, and urban water supplies in basins serving populations in regions that include Ladakh, Tibet, Nepal, Peru, and Chile. Hazard assessments highlight risks of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) that can affect infrastructure projects like dams tied to programs by entities such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank. Findings inform emergency planning by agencies like United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction and national civil protection authorities, and relate to legal and regulatory frameworks managed by institutions such as the International Court of Justice only insofar as transboundary water disputes implicate shared basins like the Indus River and Mekong River.
GLACIORISK supports adaptation via early-warning systems, engineering interventions for lake stabilization, and ecosystem-based approaches championed by organizations including the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, United Nations Development Programme, and regional development banks. Policy uptake has occurred in national adaptation plans formulated under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change and in basin management policies developed in coordination with entities such as the European Commission and the African Union. Recommendations emphasize monitoring networks coordinated with the Global Cryosphere Watch, capacity building through universities such as University of Leeds and University of British Columbia, and integration of scientific outputs into disaster risk financing promoted by the Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery.
Category:Glaciology Category:Climate change adaptation Category:Natural hazard assessment