The new UDAAI Monsoon Report 2025 leads with a firm set of recommendations, calling on the Uttarakhand government to step in, take charge and bring its officials into all climate and disaster discussions.
The report, released by SDC Foundation, SCLHR and UPES School of Law, uses the Dharali disaster as a reminder of what happens when repeated scientific alerts go unheeded.
In August, an entire village in Uttarkashi was washed away. The devastation exposed the costs of unregulated construction, deforestation and unscientific slope-cutting in fragile zones.
The report’s recommendations are direct. Strengthen glacial lake monitoring. Build early warning systems for extreme weather. Enforce eco-sensitive regulations without exceptions.
Stop unsafe hill construction. Prepare urban centres like Dehradun for climate shocks.
Focus recovery on livelihoods and mental health. Create a unified Himalayan resilience policy that links environment, disaster management and local governance.
The urgency is backed by numbers. Uttarakhand has 426 glacial lakes, and 25 are already marked dangerous. Experts warn that glacial lake outburst floods could occur suddenly if the state fails to act quickly.
“Unless we track the science, the incidents and the governance gaps together, we will not understand what is really happening,” said Gautam Kumar, stressing that the government must be part of these conversations.
Prerna Raturi warned that evidence alone cannot change anything unless officials take interest.
“We can talk endlessly about climate change, but unless the state government engages with such evidence, nothing will move for the better,” she said.
From the research team, Misbah said disasters must also be seen through the lens of law and accountability. “Disaster governance is a legal discipline. It decides justice and accountability,” she pointed out.
UPES faculty member Shikha Dimri said field-based research strengthens preparedness among future professionals and must be encouraged.
Calling for urgent action, SDC Foundation founder Anoop Nautiyal said consistent documentation shows clear patterns in policy failures. “The government has to sit with experts, listen and act.
Dialogue alone won’t save us,” he said, urging immediate monitoring of dangerous glacial lakes.
Dharali is the clue. The recommendations are the roadmap. Experts say the window for Uttarakhand is closing fast.
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