permafrost begins to thaw, massive rockfalls and
landslides will become more common, and if
they hit vulnerable lakes, they could trigger
floods similar to the 1985 Khumbu Valley flood.
“We need to be conducting integrated geo-
hazard studies of these valleys,” Reynolds says.
“GLOFs are just a piece of it.”
Regmi considers the growth of lakes an oppor-
tunity for development. “Every lake has its own
characteristics, and each needs to be treated
differently,” he explains, noting that some might
be good sources of mineral water and some
might be good for generating hydropower or
tourism, while others might be reserved for reli-
gious purposes.
Alton Byers is optimistic about the progress
already made. “It’s not just the big infrastructure
projects, like lowering Imja. People who live in
remote high-mountain regions are quietly going
about developing their own technology to adapt.”
He notes that residents in the Khumbu have
begun to build gabions—wire cages filled with
rock—to help deflect floods away from settle-
ments. The effort paid off in 2016 when an engla-
cial conduit flood released above the village of
Chukung. The gabions held up against the tor-
rent, diverting the floodwaters around several
lodges, and the village was saved. jFreddie Wilkinson reported from Mount Everest’s
Base Camp during the 2019 climbing season. His
story about climbing in Antarctica’s Queen Maud
Land appeared in the September 2013 issue.Rafts carry the
scientists across Tabo-
che Lake in May, when
much of its surface
remains frozen. Taboche
and the other lakes in
Nepal’s Khumbu region
are among the planet’shighest freshwater
bodies and are import-
ant resources for locals.
But some lakes pose
threats to communities
down valley if they
overspill or breach their
natural dams.BRITTANY MUMMA, FISHER CREATIVE, PANORAMA COMPOSED OF FOUR IMAGES 141