It is time to build GLOF-resilient communities globally before another GLOF disaster strikes

Abstract Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) are natural catastrophic events that pose a growing threat to mountain communities worldwide. Despite extensive research, hazard mapping, and risk modelling, these events continue to cause large-scale destruction to the downstream communities and infrastructure. This persistent vulnerability stems from weak policy enforcement, inadequate early warning systems, and poor community preparedness. While the threat of GLOF is increasing, their sudden and destructive nature raises a critical concern—are frontline communities truly aware and resilient enough to cope with such disasters? The recent South Lhonak GLOF in Sikkim, underscores the urgency of this question, highlighting the growing disconnect between scientific understanding, policy implementation and community preparedness. To address this, we propose the GLOF-WATCH approach—an integrated, globally coordinated, watershed-based monitoring system for continuous glacial lake observation and GLOF risk assessment. This study also highlights the key vulnerabilities in community preparedness and the failure of structural measures, outlining critical steps to bridge the gap between scientific research and on-ground resilience to build GLOF-resilient communities across high-mountains globally before the next disaster strikes.