🏔 Talidas GLOF Community Survey

Upper Ghizer Basin — August 24, 2025 Event

Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Hazard Susceptibility of Glacial Lakes · University of Central Asia

⚠ IMPORTANT NOTICE: This survey is for academic research only at the University of Central Asia. It is NOT connected to any government program, relief fund, compensation scheme, or financial assistance. Your answers will be used only for scientific analysis of the 2025 Talidas GLOF event.
0 answered
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Respondent Profile
All Respondents
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A1 How long have you lived in Talidas?
A Less than 5 years ✓
B 5–10 years ✓
C More than 10 years ✓
D Born and raised here ✓
A2 What is your primary livelihood?
A Farming only ✓
B Herding / Shepherd only ✓
C Both farming and herding ✓
D Other ✓
A3 How familiar are you with the Talidas glacial lake above the village?
A I have visited it many times ✓
B I have visited it a few times ✓
C I know of it but never visited ✓
D I was not aware of any lake above the village ✓
A4 Have you ever visited the lake area personally?
A Yes ✓
B No ✓
↪ If NO → A4a will be skipped
A4a How often did you visit the lake area before August 2025?
Only if YES to A4
A Rarely — once or twice in my life ✓
B Occasionally — once or twice a year ✓
C Seasonally — during grazing season every year ✓
D Regularly — every few weeks during summer ✓
B
Historical Flood Memory
All Respondents
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B1 Before August 2025, did this area ever experience sudden flooding from the direction of the glacier or lake?
A Yes ✓
B No ✓
C Not sure ✓
↪ If NO or NOT SURE → B2–B6 will be skipped
B2 Approximately how many times in the last 10 years did flooding occur before 2025?
Only if YES to B1
A Once ✓
B 2–3 times ✓
C More than 3 times ✓
B3 In which years do you remember those past floods?
Only if YES to B1 — write all years you remember
B4 What was typically damaged in those past floods? (select all that apply)
Only if YES to B1
A Farmland and crops ✓
B Irrigation channels ✓
C Houses partially damaged ✓
D Livestock lost ✓
E Roads and bridges ✓
F Nothing significant was ever damaged before ✓
B5 Compared to all past floods you remember, how did the August 2025 GLOF compare in destruction?
Only if YES to B1
A Far worse than anything ever seen before ✓
B Similar in scale to a previous event ✓
C Smaller than a past event I remember ✓
B6 Describe the worst flood you remember before 2025 and how the 2025 GLOF was different in speed, size, sound, and destruction.
Only if YES to B1 — long answer
C
Pre-GLOF Observations
Shepherds + Anyone Near the Lake Before August 24
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C1 Were you in or near the Talidas valley area in the weeks before August 24, 2025?
A Yes ✓
B No ✓
↪ If NO → C2–C8 will be skipped
C2 Did you notice any unusual sounds from the direction of the lake or glacier before the event?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes — loud cracking or deep rumbling ✓
B Yes — unusual rushing water sound ✓
C No unusual sounds ✓
D I was not close enough to hear ✓
C3 Did you observe any change in the stream water coming down from the glacier?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes — water became muddier or darker than usual ✓
B Yes — water flow visibly increased ✓
C No change noticed ✓
D I did not observe the stream in that period ✓
C4 Did you notice the lake appearing larger or the water level higher than normal in the weeks before?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes — it looked visibly larger and higher ✓
B It looked slightly higher but I was not certain ✓
C It looked normal ✓
D I did not visit the lake that season ✓
C5 Did you observe any new cracks, ice falls, or pieces of glacier collapsing into the lake?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes — I saw ice falling into the lake ✓
B I heard cracking sounds but did not see it ✓
C No — nothing like that ✓
D I was not near the lake in that period ✓
C6 Did any animals — livestock or wild — behave unusually in the days before the flood?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes — livestock were restless or refusing to graze near the stream ✓
B Yes — wild animals were behaving strangely ✓
C No unusual animal behavior ✓
D I did not observe animals near that area ✓
C6a Compared to previous years, did you notice fewer birds or animals in the Talidas valley during summer 2025?
Supervisor addition — ecological signal before GLOF
A Yes — clearly fewer birds and animals than normal ✓
B Yes — some species seemed to have disappeared or moved away ✓
C No — animal and bird numbers looked the same as always ✓
D I did not pay attention to this ✓
C6b Did you feel or hear any earthquake or ground trembling in the days or weeks before August 24, 2025?
Supervisor addition — earthquakes can weaken moraine dams and trigger GLOFs
A Yes — I felt a clear earthquake or ground shaking ✓
B Yes — I heard a deep rumbling from the ground but felt nothing ✓
C No earthquake or trembling felt or heard ✓
D I am not sure — it may have been distant rumbling from the glacier ✓
↪ If NO or NOT SURE → C6c will be skipped
C6c Approximately how many days before the GLOF did you feel or hear the earthquake?
Only if YES to C6b
A Same day or one day before ✓
B 2–5 days before ✓
C 1–2 weeks before ✓
D More than 2 weeks before ✓
E I cannot remember exactly ✓
C7 During which months do shepherds typically graze near or visit the Talidas lake area?
Only if YES to C1
A June–July only ✓
B June–August ✓
C May–September ✓
D Year round ✓
C8 Looking back now — do you believe there were warning signs before the GLOF that you did not recognize as danger at the time?
Only if YES to C1
A Yes, clearly — I now realize what I saw were warnings ✓
B Possibly, but I am not certain ✓
C No — there were no signs at all ✓
D
Day of August 24, 2025
All Respondents
▾
D1 Where were you when the GLOF occurred?
A Inside my house in the village ✓
B Working on farmland near the village ✓
C On the way to or from the lake or pasture ✓
D At or near the lake itself ✓
E Away from the village that day ✓
D2 What was the first sign that told you something was wrong?
A A loud roaring or rumbling sound ✓
B Someone shouting a warning ✓
C I saw the water or debris coming ✓
D The ground was shaking ✓
E A sudden increase in stream noise ✓
F Other ✓
D3 How much time passed between the first warning sign and the water reaching your location?
A Less than 5 minutes ✓
B 5–15 minutes ✓
C 15–30 minutes ✓
D More than 30 minutes ✓
E I don't know — it was too chaotic ✓
D4 How would you describe the flood as it passed through the valley?
A Mostly water with little debris ✓
B Water mixed with mud and small rocks ✓
C A thick wall of mud, boulders, and debris — more solid than liquid ✓
D It started as water then became heavier with debris ✓
D4a What colour was the floodwater when it first arrived?
Supervisor addition — water colour indicates what the flood was carrying
A Greyish white — like glacial meltwater ✓
B Brown or muddy — carrying a lot of soil ✓
C Black or very dark — heavy with debris and rocks ✓
D It changed colour — started lighter then became darker ✓
E I could not tell — it was too fast and chaotic ✓
D4b How fast did the floodwater appear to be moving when it reached the village?
Supervisor addition — flood speed is a key physical characteristic
A Very slow — like a rising river, gradual spread ✓
B Moderate — fast walking pace ✓
C Very fast — faster than a running person ✓
D Extremely fast — like a wall of water hitting instantly ✓
E I could not judge the speed — I was already running ✓
D4c Did the floodwater carry large boulders or blocks of ice?
Supervisor addition — presence of boulders and ice indicates the source and energy of the flood
A Yes — very large boulders I had never seen moved before ✓
B Yes — large blocks of ice were visible in the water ✓
C Yes — both boulders and ice were carried in the flood ✓
D Only small rocks and gravel, no large boulders ✓
E No visible boulders or ice — mostly mud and water ✓
D4d Approximately how long did the floodwater keep flowing at full force before it slowed down?
Supervisor addition — flood duration indicates total volume of water released from the lake
A Less than 30 minutes ✓
B 30 minutes to 1 hour ✓
C 1 to 3 hours ✓
D 3 to 6 hours ✓
E More than 6 hours — it flowed most of the day ✓
F I do not know — I was evacuated and could not observe ✓
D5 Did the flood arrive as a single surge or in multiple waves?
A One massive single surge ✓
B A large first surge followed by smaller continued flows ✓
C Multiple distinct pulses ✓
D I could not tell — I fled immediately ✓
D6 How high did the floodwater reach at its peak in the village area?
A Ankle to knee level ✓
B Waist to chest level ✓
C Above head level ✓
D Houses were completely buried or submerged ✓
E The flood came as a wave too fast to judge height ✓
D7 Did the floodwater follow the existing stream channel or did it spread and carve new paths?
A Followed the existing stream channel ✓
B Broke out of the channel and spread across the valley floor ✓
C Carved entirely new paths destroying everything in its way ✓
D Both — followed channel in some places, broke out in others ✓
D8 Did the flood form a new lake or pond anywhere in the valley after the event?
A Yes — a large new lake formed blocking the road ✓
B Yes — a small temporary pool formed but drained within days ✓
C No new water body formed ✓
D I do not know ✓
T
Trigger Factors
All Respondents
▾
T1 How would you describe the weather in the weeks leading up to August 24, 2025?
A Extremely hot with almost no rain ✓
B Hot with occasional heavy rainfall ✓
C Normal summer weather ✓
D Unusually heavy and continuous rainfall ✓
E I do not remember clearly ✓
T2 Was there any significant rainfall in the 24–48 hours before the GLOF?
A Yes — heavy rain shortly before the flood ✓
B Light rain but nothing unusual ✓
C No rain — weather was dry ✓
D I do not remember ✓
T3 In summer 2025, did you notice snowmelt or glacier melt happening faster than previous years?
A Yes — snow and ice were melting much faster than usual ✓
B Slightly faster than normal ✓
C Same as every year ✓
D I did not observe this ✓
T4 Over the past 10 years, have you noticed the glacier above Talidas shrinking in size?
A Yes — clearly smaller than before ✓
B Slightly smaller but not much ✓
C No visible change ✓
D I never paid attention to it ✓
T5 In your opinion, what was the main reason the dam or ice holding the lake gave way?
A The lake had grown too large and the dam could not hold it ✓
B Heavy rain and meltwater filled the lake beyond its limit ✓
C The ice dam melted from underneath and collapsed ✓
D An ice or rock avalanche fell into the lake and pushed the water over ✓
E A crack or weak point in the moraine gradually gave way ✓
F I do not know what caused it ✓
T6 Have you ever heard from elders about this glacier or lake being dangerous in the distant past?
A Yes ✓
B No ✓
C Not sure ✓
↪ If NO or NOT SURE → T6a will be skipped
T6a What did elders say about the glacier or lake? Has anyone ever warned it could be dangerous?
Only if YES to T6 — long answer
F
Early Warning & Future Preparedness
All Respondents
▾
F1 If a simple alarm system had been installed at the lake, do you think it would have reduced the damage?
A Yes, definitely ✓
B Possibly ✓
C No — the flood was too fast even for a warning ✓
D I am not sure ✓
F2 Would shepherds be willing to regularly report unusual lake conditions to researchers or authorities?
A Yes — willingly ✓
B Yes — if they knew who to report to ✓
C Unlikely ✓
D No ✓
F3 What is the single most important change that could protect this village from a future GLOF?
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