A disaster happening that you’ve never heard of…. Six months ago, on January 4th, 2010 in the remote Hunza River Valley of northern Pakistan, a massive landslide buried the village of Attabad, destroying 26 homes, killing 20 people, and damming up the Hunza River. As the newly-formed lake grew, authorities rushed to evacuate and supply those affected in the landslide area and upstream. The lake is now over 300 feet deep and 16km (10 mi) long, submerging miles of highway, farms and homes. Earlier this week, the lake reached the top of the natural dam, and began to spill out - rapid erosion of the landslide debris has authorities worried about a potential breach, and locals have been evacuated as officials monitor the developing situation.
This photograph was taken while a secondary landslide was taking place near Attabad village in northern Pakistan on January 22, 2010, after the original massive landslide of January 4th blocked most of the Hunza Valley and dammed the Hunza River
This photograph was taken while a secondary landslide was taking place near Attabad village in northern Pakistan on January 22, 2010, after the original massive landslide of January 4th blocked most of the Hunza Valley and dammed the Hunza River
Huge clouds of dust arise as land slides continued on January 6, 2010, the second day of the Attabad disaster.
The people of Gojal carrying daily essentials on their backs across the landslide site on January 12, 2010..
A view of the newly-forming lake formed due to blockage of the Hunza River, seen three days after the landslide, on January 7, 2010.
Land cracks visible in the land near what remains of the village of Attabad on February 1, 2010.
Local volunteers conducting search for bodies in rubble near the village of Attabad on January 6, 2010
A funeral service is held for some of the victims of the Hunza Valley landslide on January 6, 2010.
Men climb across landslide debris in the Hunza River Valley on January 7, 2010. The growing lake is visible in the background.
With the only highway wiped out by the landslide, Gojal Valley locals turn to airlifts to help them evacuate and get access to goods and services.
In this image taken on Thursday March 11, 2010, Pakistani loaders carrying goods imported from neighboring China which are ferried through a lake due to blockade of the Karakoram Highway, in Attabad, northern Pakistan. A massive landslide early this year formed a natural dam in the Hunza River created a lake that is consuming upstream as it expands. If dam breaks, a flash flood could threaten downstream villages.
As water rises, locals use a makeshift pedestrian bridge to help them supply and evacuate in the Hunza River Valley in northern Pakistan. The pillars are from an under-construction "friendship bridge" for the now-partly-submerged Karakoram Highway.
This image, acquired by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) aboard NASA's Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite on March 16th, 2010 shows the blocked Hunza River and the growing lake, then 11 km (7 mi) long, inundating several villages and 5 km (3 mi) of the Karakoram Highway. Landslide blockage is at lower right
Pillars of the under-construction "friendship bridge" for the Karakoram Highway, now flooded - seen on May 2nd, 2010, only two weeks after the same scene was photographed from a different angle two slides back!
Heavy machinery is employed to lift and carry a wooden boat up the side of the landslide debris to be deposited in the lake to aid evacuation and supply missions on April 6, 2010
In this image taken on April 30, 2010, local people use a boat to ferry their vehicles in a lake caused by landslide which cuts off part of the Karakoram highway to China, in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan.
An aerial view shows a lake overtaking a village in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan on Saturday, May 29, 2010.
Women, who lived near a lake created after a landslide in Hunza district, cut barley in a field in Seeshghat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 24, 2010
Villagers, who lived near a lake created after a landslide in Hunza district, collect belongings from their home at Sheeshghat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 24, 2010.
Pakistani soldiers help villagers as they board an army helicopter in the village of Altitin in the Hunza district of northern Pakistan on May 21, 2010. Flooding from a lake in northern Pakistan risks affecting 40,000 residents of some 34 villages already evacuated to safety, a top disaster management official said.
Children walk near tents set up for displaced people who were affected by a natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 19, 2010
A girl cries while sitting with others to protest against the government's failure to announce compensation for those displaced by a lake created after a landslide during a demonstration in Attaabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan on May 22, 2010
A view from a military helicopter of the lake growing behind a natural dam caused by a landslide which passes through Sheeshgat village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 24, 2010.
Workers use machines to dig a spillway to release water pressure built up by the natural dam caused by a landslide in Attabad village in Hunza district of northern Pakistan May 12, 2010. Fears are growing a lake created by a landslide will burst and cause a massive flood that could affect more than 50,000 people in northern Pakistan and disrupt a key trade link with China
A gate near an orchard lies submerged in the upper Hunza Valley on April 14th, 2010. Around 40 houses in Ayeenabad and Shishkat Payeen have been dismantled to save valuables from sinking in the lake water
After the lake began to flow through the spillway that was cut into the landslide debris on May 29th, the flow of the water has increased, but still does not match the inflow upstream from the Hunza River. And - as is evidenced by these two images (May 30th on the left, June 4th on the right), the outflow is eroding the debris, working back toward the lake - potentially signaling an upcoming breach where nearly five months worth of river flow might wash away the dam and cause serious flooding downstream. Scientists and authorities are monitoring the situation and evacuations have been undertaken for all threatened areas.
What will happen next? How would you deal with this disaster?There is no bridge left…There is enormous pressure on the ‘natural’ dam caused by the landslide and water is beginning to wash over the top.In your group, discuss what you think should be done and write on the sugar paper and select someone to report backPlenary - Watch this video…http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsKxCsCjtVw
What will happen next? Did they have any better ideas?What do you think will happen to the displaced people of the valley?What would you do with these people to ensure their safety in the short-term and their livelihood in the long term?QUESTION TO TAKE AWAY:Why have you not heard of this before now?
CREDITS: Photographs and information from the Zulfir Ali Khan/Pamir Times, Reuters, David Petley, FOCUS, NASA, JISC, AP Photos.PowerPoint by Edu4DRR with thanks to Garry de la Pomerai.You can watch the initial landslide occur at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zevBVop-sCk
The Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on the Terra satellite acquired this false-color image of the landslide lake on June 1, 2010 - now 16km (10 mi) long. Compare to satellite image earlier in slideshow, taken 10 weeks earlier, and see that the lake has grown by 5km in length. Water appears in varying shades of blue. Vegetation is red. Bare rock appears in shades of brown and gray.
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