Articles | Volume 26, issue 8
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-4131-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/nhess-26-4131-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Aug 2026
Research article |
| 27 Aug 2026
| 27 Aug 2026
The 2024 cascading glacial lake outburst flood in the Thame Valley of Everest region, Nepal: process, impacts and implications
Nitesh Khadka
Center for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur, Nepal
Vishnu Prasad Pandey
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Center for Water Resources Studies (CWRS), Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur, Nepal
Department of Civil Engineering, Pulchowk Campus, Institute of Engineering, Tribhuvan University, Lalitpur, Nepal
C. Scott Watson
School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Guoxiong Zheng
College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
Midui Glacier-Guangxie Lake Disaster Field Science Observation and Research Station of Tibet Autonomous Region, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou, China
Tianpei Wu
State Key Laboratory of Mountain Hazards and Engineering Resilience, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China
University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
Keshab Sharma
BGC Engineering Inc., 330 AlisonBlvd., Fredericton, NB E3C 0A9, Canada
Lauren D. Rawlins
School of Geography and water@leeds, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
Simon Allen
Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Manish Raj Gouli
The Stimson Center - Energy, Water, & Sustainability, 1211 Connecticut Ave, NW/8th Floor Washington, DC 20036, USA
Dibas Shrestha
Central Department of Hydrology and Meteorology, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal
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Short summary
On 16 August 2024, a cascading glacial lake outburst flood destroyed Thame Village, Nepal. An upstream glacial lake formed in the late 2000s overtopped triggering a downstream lake breach. Combined release of ~770,000 m³ with peak discharge >800 m³/s reached the village within 22–25 min. Losses exceeded 6.18 million USD. Small, rapidly evolving lakes pose often overlooked GLOF risks in a warming climate.
On 16 August 2024, a cascading glacial lake outburst flood destroyed Thame Village, Nepal. An...
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