Study: Western Himalayas avalanche risks up due to warming, human activities

Avalanche risks in the Western Himalayas have increased due to climate change and human activities with 30-40 deaths annually due to such disasters, a study published by Springer Nature has revealed. Rising temperatures, high population density, and rapid infrastructure development have made the region more vulnerable to avalanches, the study found.

The worst-affected areas include Lahaul & Spiti in Himachal Pradesh and Chamoli in Uttarakhand. The study, titled 'A multi-aggregation approach to estimate avalanche vulnerability and suggest phase-wise adaptation', was conducted by Akshay Singhal, M Kavya, and Sanjeev K. Jha from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Bhopal. It assessed avalanche vulnerability in 11 districts of HP and Uttarakhand, identifying Lahaul & Spiti as the most at risk, followed by Chamoli. Last month, a massive avalanche in Chamoli's Mana area killed eight Border Roads Organisation (BRO) contractual workers and trapped 54.

The researchers developed a Combined Avalanche Vulnerability Index to evaluate risk based on exposure (weather and snow conditions), sensitivity (topography and human activity), and adaptive capacity.