༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།

NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY

THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”

Annexure 1
DATA REQUEST FORM
Sign and Return to National Center for Hydrology & Meteorology, Thimphu, Bhutan
(Hard copy or by email at: hod@nchm.gov.bt)
Name of the Person Tenzin Namgay
and Office: University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka
Agency Institution

Address 97/1A John Rodrigo Mwawatha, Moratuwa, Sri Lanka

Phone number +94 77 544 3978

Email tenzinthimphu111@gmail.com

Sl. Data Site/Station/River/ Data Period Frequency Remarks

No. Parameters Gewog/Dzongkhag (eg:1992-1995) (Daily/Monthly/
Annually)
Runoff data helps
model water flow
into Chubda Tsho
and Phudung Tsho,
Catchment Chamkhar Chhu assessing potential
1 1990–2024 Monthly
Area Runoff Sub-basin overflow risks.
Monthly data is
preferred to track
seasonal runoff
variations.

Daily rainfall data

informs how
precipitation
influences glacial
Chamkhar Chhu melt rates, which is
Rainfall (max
2 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 Daily crucial for GLOF
and min)
Bumthang District triggering. Daily
data is
also essential for
monitoring
extreme events.
Temperature data
is critical for
Chamkhar Chhu
Temperature modeling glacier
3 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 Daily
(max and min) melt dynamics in
Bumthang District
Chubda Tsho and
Phudung Tsho.
For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
Page 1 of 2
 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
Daily frequency
allows for detailed
short-term
analysis.

Streamflow data
provides insights
into how much
water flows
Streamflow Chamkhar Chhu
4 1990–2024 Monthly downstream from
Data River
the glacial lakes,
essential for
assessing GLOF
impacts.

Snow cover data

are essential for
understanding
Chubda Tsho,
glacier melt
Snow Cover Phudung Tsho,
5 1990–2024 Monthly contributions to the
Data Chamkhar Chhu
lakes. Monthly
Sub-basin
data also help track
seasonal changes
in snowpack.

Daily precipitation
data is critical for
Chamkhar Chhu real-time GLOF
Precipitation
6 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 Daily risk monitoring,
Data (daily)
Bumthang District especially during
extreme weather
events.

Hydrological data
such as river
discharge and
water levels help
assess how
Chamkhar Chhu
Hydrological downstream rivers
7 River, Bumthang 1990–2024 Monthly
Data respond to
District
potential GLOF
events. Monthly
frequency is useful
for long-term
modeling.

For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
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 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”

Climate data helps

track long-term
trends in
temperature and
Chamkhar Chhu precipitation,
8 Climate Data 1990–2024 Monthly
Sub-basin important for
understanding how
climate change
affects GLOF
risks.

Monitoring
extreme
meteorological
Chamkhar Chhu
Meteorological Event-based (as events is crucial for
9 Sub-basin, 1990–2024
Events Data occurred) understanding
Bumthang District
potential GLOF
triggers such as
storms and floods.

GLOF data is
essential for
Chubda Tsho, historical analysis
Glacial Lake
Phudung Tsho, Event-based (as and assessing
10 Outburst Flood 1990–2024
Chamkhar Chhu occurred) future risks
(GLOF) Data
Sub-basin specific to Chubda
Tsho and Phudung
Tsho.

River discharge
and water level
data are critical for
understanding the
River potential
Chamkhar Chhu
Discharge and downstream effects
11 River, Bumthang 1990–2024 Monthly
Water Level of a GLOF.
District
Data Monthly data
provides a
consistent
overview of water
level trends.
Historical flood
event data informs
about past
Historical Chamkhar Chhu
Event-based (as occurrences and
12 Flood Events Sub-basin, 1990–2024
occurred) aids in modeling
Data Bumthang District
the likelihood and
potential impact of
future GLOFs.
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Page 3 of 2
 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
Understanding lake
volume is crucial
for assessing
GLOF severity.
Chubda Tsho, Annual or event-
Glacial Lake Phudung Tsho, Annual or based
13 1990–2024
Volume Data Chamkhar Chhu event-based measurements
Sub-basin provide insights
into how much
water could be
released during a
breach.
Evaporation rates
influence lake
levels and water
Chamkhar Chhu balance. Monthly
Evaporation Monthly or
14 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 or seasonal data
Data seasonal
Bumthang District captures changes in
evaporation
throughout the
year.
Groundwater data
helps understand
its influence on
Chamkhar Chhu lake filling and
Groundwater Monthly or
15 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 overall water
Data annually
Bumthang District levels. Monthly or
annual data
establishes long-
term trends.
Permafrost data
helps assess
landscape stability
and risks of
landslides or
Permafrost Chamkhar Chhu avalanches
Annual or
16 Monitoring Sub-basin, 1990–2024 affecting glacial
event-based
Data Bumthang District lakes. Annual or
event-based
monitoring
provides insights
into permafrost
conditions.
Sediment transport
data helps
Sediment
Chamkhar Chhu understand
Transport and Monthly or
17 River, Bumthang 1990–2024 potential natural
Deposition seasonal
District dam formations.
Data
Monthly or
seasonal data
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 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
captures variations,
particularly during
the monsoon.
Landslide and
debris flow data
helps assess risks
of these events
Landslide and Chamkhar Chhu affecting glacial
Event-based or
18 Debris Flow Sub-basin, 1990–2024 lakes. Event-based
annual
Data Bumthang District or annual data
provides
information on
historical and
recent incidents.
Glacier mass
balance data is
essential for
understanding
Chubda Tsho,
glacier
Glacier Mass Phudung Tsho, Annually or
19 1990–2024 contributions to
Balance Data Chamkhar Chhu seasonally
lake volume.
Sub-basin
Annual or seasonal
data helps track
changes in glacier
mass.
Soil moisture
levels affect
landslide risks and
flood potential.
Soil Moisture Chamkhar Chhu
Monthly or Monthly or
20 and Saturation Sub-basin, 1990–2024
seasonal seasonal
Levels Bumthang District
monitoring
provides insight
into soil saturation
conditions.
Wind data impacts
precipitation and
glacier melt. Daily
Chamkhar Chhu
Daily or or monthly data
21 Wind Data Sub-basin, 1990–2024
monthly helps understand
Bumthang District
trends and
variations affecting
lake levels.
Seismic activity
data helps assess
Chamkhar Chhu risks of
Seismic Event-based or
22 Sub-basin, 1990–2024 earthquakes
Activity Data annual
Bumthang District destabilizing
glacial lakes.
Event-based or
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 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
annual data
provides insights
into seismic risks.

Purpose:
Type of Study/Project: Research (✓) , Project () , Thesis () , Others (Specify) -
Research

Name of Study/Project: Assessment of Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risks for Chubda Tsho
and Phudung Tsho in the Chamkhar Chhu Sub-basin, Bhutan: An Integrated Study Using Satellite
Imagery, GIS, and Hydrological Modeling

Summary of the Project/study:

Title: Assessment of Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) Risks for Chubda Tsho and Phudung Tsho
in the Chamkhar Chhu Sub-basin, Bhutan: An Integrated Study Using Satellite Imagery, GIS, and
Hydrological Modeling

Aim of the Research: This project aims to conduct a comprehensive assessment of the risks posed by
Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Chamkhar Chhu Sub-basin, focusing specifically on two
critical glacial lakes: Chubda Tsho and Phudung Tsho. As Bhutan faces the impacts of climate
change and accelerated glacier melt, understanding these risks is vital for safeguarding vulnerable
communities and infrastructure.

Context and Importance: Bhutan’s mountainous terrain, characterized by numerous glacial lakes,
makes it particularly susceptible to GLOFs, which can have devastating consequences. Recent
increases in glacier melt due to rising temperatures have heightened the urgency for effective flood risk
management strategies. Given the small population of Bhutan, even moderate flooding events can have
severe impacts.

Primary Objective: To assess the risk of GLOFs in the Chamkhar Chhu Sub-basin by evaluating the
stability of Chubda Tsho and Phudung Tsho, identifying potential triggers, and predicting impacts on
downstream areas using GIS and hydrological modeling (HEC-HMS).

Secondary Objectives:
• Data Collection: Gather and preprocess high-resolution satellite imagery, Digital Elevation
Models (DEMs), and other relevant datasets.
• Lake Detection and Classification: Utilize advanced techniques to detect and classify glacial
lakes, validate findings with field data, and assess changes in damming structures and
surrounding features.
• GLOF Scenario Simulation: Use hydrological models (HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS, FLO-2D) to
simulate various GLOF scenarios, predicting flood extents and analyzing potential impacts.
• Sensitivity and Uncertainty Analysis: Analyze the sensitivity of model parameters, validate
results with in-situ data, and generate comprehensive GLOF risk maps.

Research Gaps Addressed: The study acknowledges several critical research gaps that need to be
addressed to enhance understanding and management of GLOF risks:
For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
Page 6 of 2
 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
• Previous studies, such as (Komori et al., 2004), lacked comprehensive assessments of the
stability of Chubda Tsho's upper parts, surrounding rocks, and glacial ice, which are critical for
identifying potential failure risks.
• Need for more detailed multi-temporal analysis and integration of in situ data with remote
sensing for accurate risk assessments and suggests integrating in situ data with remote sensing
for a more accurate GLOF risk assessment (Jain et al., 2015).
• Lack of long-term analysis on flooding impacts and the development of community-based
adaptation strategies and the need for ecosystem-based flood management, detailed cost-benefit
analysis, and consideration of model uncertainty and stakeholder insights (Neopaney et al.,
2022).

Innovations in GLOF risk:

• Data Resolution & Temporal Coverage: The (Komori et al., 2004) study analyzed the glacier
and lake expansion of Chubda Glacier over 35 years using topographic maps (the 1950s),
CORONA photos (1967/1968), and SPOT images (1991/2001), finding minimal change in the
glacier’s position. The lake expanded by 0.027 km². The (Jain et al., 2015) study used lower-
resolution ASTER data (2007) with a single snapshot, missing seasonal variations. In contrast,
the new study will use high-resolution Sentinel-2 and Landsat-8/9 data with multi-temporal
analysis, providing a more dynamic and accurate view of glacier lake changes and glacier
retreat.
• GLOF Risk Assessment: Neither the (Komori et al., 2004) nor the (Jain et al., 2015) study
addressed GLOF risk. The new study will improve on this by integrating flood simulation
models (HEC-RAS, HEC-HMS) and climate data, assessing glacier dynamics, flood risks, and
hazard zones. It will include a breach model for moraine dam failure predictions and an FLO-
2D model for flood spread and impact assessment.
• Field Validation and Lake Detection: The study relied solely on remote sensing without field
validation. The new research will use 2019 in-situ survey data, including direct measurements
of lake volume and depth, to enhance accuracy and complement satellite imagery.
• Climate Change Impact: The (Neopaney et al., 2022) research in the Chamkhar Chhu sub-
basin focused only on rainfall data, missing the role of glacier dynamics in flood management.
My research addresses this by analyzing the effects of rising temperatures and changing
precipitation on glacier melt, lake expansion, and GLOF risks using climate data and satellite
imagery. Using the FLO-2D model simulates flood spread and impacts to enhance flood
management strategies.

Methodology: The methodology for GLOF risk assessment begins with problem and objective
identification, followed by data collection, including satellite imagery (Sentinel-2, Landsat-8/9),
DEMs, streamflow, climate, vegetation, soil, and socio-economic data. After preprocessing (e.g., cloud
masking, DEM processing) and delineating the catchment area, various techniques such as NDWI and
SVM are applied for lake detection and classification, with results validated using field data. GLOF
risk simulations are conducted using models like HEC-RAS/HEC-HMS for flood prediction, followed
by scenario development, sensitivity, and uncertainty analysis. Finally, the results are used to generate
GLOF risk maps and integrate flood hazard zones using GIS for further risk and impact analysis.

For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
Page 7 of 2
 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”
Expected Outputs:
• A comprehensive risk assessment report detailing GLOF hazards in the Chamkhar Chhu Sub-
basin, emphasizing Chubda Tsho and Phudung Tsho.
• An enhanced monitoring system for glacial lakes, employing advanced detection and
classification methods.
• Predictive models that forecast potential flood impacts, providing actionable recommendations
for flood risk management and community protection.

Significance: This study will provide critical insights into the risks associated with glacial lakes in
Bhutan, enabling the development of effective flood risk management strategies. Collaborating with
the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM), the project aims to leverage
essential data to enhance resilience against GLOF threats, ultimately protecting vulnerable
communities and infrastructure in the region. This comprehensive approach not only addresses
immediate flood risks but also supports sustainable environmental management in Bhutan.

(Attach official Request letter/documents)

For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
Page 8 of 2
 ༄༅།། རྒྱལ་ཡོངས་ཆུ་དཔྱད་དང་གནམ་གཤིས་རིག་པའི་ལྟེ་བ།།
NATIONAL CENTER FOR HYDROLOGY AND METEOROLOGY
THIMPHU: BHUTAN
“Center of Excellence in Hydrology, Meteorology and Cryosphere Science and Services”

Terms and Conditions:

1. Data Sharing shall be as per the Center’s “Guidelines on the Exchange and Dissemination of Hydro-
meteorological Data and Information, 2019”.
2. The Center reserves the right to deny access to information if deemed inappropriate for sharing with other
agencies or individuals.
3. The Center also reserves the right to prioritize requests for data based on purpose.
4. Request for data of nationwide coverage and/or observational time-scale shall be assessed on a case-by-case
basis, subject to the clients agreeing to a separate instrument of partnership in the project/study of interest.
5. Data must only be used by the named person(s)/institution for the sole purpose of their work /on the
named project/research; and should not be shared with any third party wholly or partially.
6. Any reports/findings/publications/articles or any information/knowledge thereof arising from the use of
data will be shared with the department to understand the need and priorities of data users and improve
data services.
7. Data will not be used for any commercial purposes or for profit other than the cost handling and delivery
8. Data source must be adequately referenced.
9. Forms submitted with incomplete information will not be processed; and subsequent requests will not
be considered without feedback on earlier request.

I/we have read and understood above-mentioned terms and conditions, and hereby consent to abide by them.

Name (Tenzin Namgay)

Signature

Official Seal Disclaimer:

The Center hereby disclaims all liabilities or responsibilities for any damage, injury, loss, claim, or lawsuit arising
from any error, inaccuracy, or other problems with either data provided by the Center or results arising out of the
use of the data either incidental, consequential or damages, including, without limitation, loss of profits or revenues,
damage to property or injury or death to persons arising from any such error, inaccuracy or problems.

OFFICAL USE ONLY

Received by:
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Remarks:

For Hydro-met Data and Statistics Tel. No.: +975-2-324999/323632/322794 Fax No.: +975-2-327202
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