- 1College of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Peking University, Beijing, China (dongfeng@u.nus.edu)
- 2Department of Geography, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge 117570, Singapore
- 3Department of Geography, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4RJ, UK
- 4Institute of Earth Surface Dynamics, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- 5Department of Geography and Regional Science, University of Graz
- 6Faculty of Geosciences, Department of Physical Geography, Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
- 7Institute of Geodesy, Graz University of Technology, Graz, Austria
High Mountain Asia (HMA) faces significant hydrological and geomorphic challenges due to global warming and cryosphere loss, which are altering water supply patterns and the frequency of flood hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) and landslide-dammed lake outburst floods (LLOFs). These floods have historically caused significant damage, destroying many hydropower projects (HPPs), including major events in 1981, 1985, 2016, and 2018. While reservoirs with large storage capacities can mitigate some impacts, many planned and existing HPPs remain vulnerable. Here we compile a new flood database between 1950 and 2023 in HMA. A total of 1,015 flood events are documented, including 261 pluvial floods (PFs), 220 snowmelt-induced floods (SFs), 427 GLOFs, and 107 LLOFs. The changing flood frequency is linked to warming temperatures, rising precipitation, and cascading interactions with glaciers, permafrost, and human exposure.
Floods threaten infrastructure, disrupt energy production, and mobilize sediments that degrade reservoirs and turbines, intensifying risks under ongoing climate change. However, strategic design, maintenance, and sediment management, supported by improved monitoring and early warning systems, can enhance the resilience of hydropower projects. Policymakers and stakeholders must urgently adopt sustainable strategies to address these flood hazards, ensuring the viability of hydropower and contributing to sustainable development in this critical region.
How to cite: Li, D., Ni, J., Lu, X., Walling, D., Lane, S., Steiner, J., Immerzeel, W., and Bolch, T.: Climate and geomorphic-driven river floods and related impacts on hydropower in High Mountain Asia, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1860, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1860, 2025.
