Highlights and Lessons from the Implementation of an Early Warning System for Glacier Lake Outburst Floods in Carhuaz, Peru

Abstract

Biography of Presenting Author: Javier Fluixá-Sanmartín is a Civil Engineer with over 6 years of experience in hydraulic modelling, dam risk management and flood forecasting. Since 2014, he has been working at the CREALP as a hydrologic and hydraulic specialist, mainly working on the implementation of flood forecasting and early warning systems in different river basins. He has also collaborated for several years with the Hydraulic and Environmental Department of the Universitat Politècnica de València in Spain, where he has developed and applied a dam risk analysis tool to several Spanish dams. Abstract: Glacial related risks are a key issue in Peruvian high mountains. The April 2010 outburst of the glacial Laguna 513 in the Cordillera Blanca (Ancash region), above the city of Carhuaz, is an emblematic example. In the context of the multidisciplinary project " Glaciares 513 -Adapting to climate change and reducing disaster risks due to receding Andes glaciers " , a complex Early Warning System (EWS) has been designed and implemented in the Chucchún basin, where the Laguna 513 is located, as a component of an integrated risk reduction strategy. It supports decision-makers, authorities, civil defense platforms, etc. in their response to this type of natural hazard. This paper presents the main features of the EWS installed in the Carhuaz region (such as risk analysis, elaboration of emergency plans, or technical components), its development and the main lessons we learned from the project as a whole.