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

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), 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 was designed and implemented in the Chucchun basin, where the Laguna 513 is located, as a component of an integrated risk reduction strategy. It aimed at supporting 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, its development, and the main lessons we learned from the project as a whole.