When mountains and lakes move: causes and consequences

Prof. John M. Reynolds
Reynolds International Ltd, Mold, Wales, UK

In young, dynamic, mountain regions, such as those in the Himalayan Region and the Andes, communities must deal with geological processes that occur almost on a weekly and certainly a seasonal basis. On top of this are the less frequent but often far more catastrophic disasters associated with earthquakes, and devastating floods from outbursts from glacial lakes, landslide dams, and from intense rainstorms. Couple all this with the impact of a changing climate and we have a recipe for environments with very active geological and slope processes that can destroy the very fabric of the local society and influence the economic performance of entire countries.

This talk describes how earthquakes, landslides, mountain collapses, glacial lake and landslide dam outburst floods, cloudbursts, and intense monsoon rains all contribute, often in concert, and impact communities and infrastructure development in the Himalayas. This includes forensic analysis of recent disasters to help communities, hydropower developers, and governments better prepare and increase their resilience to both rapid geological processes and climate change impacts.