ISRO's Space Technology Applications for Ladakh Disaster Management
The Department of Space, Government of India, is extensively using satellite and geospatial technologies to monitor various environmental parameters in Ladakh for disaster management purposes. The comprehensive monitoring program includes glacier inventory management with a database of more than 2,000 glaciers in Ladakh generated using 2020-23 satellite data, with changes in the extent of over 1,000 glaciers mapped over two decades.
For glacial lake monitoring, an inventory of 3,219 glacial lakes with area greater than 0.25 hectares has been created as part of the National Hydrology Project of Ministry of Jal Shakti. Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) risk modeling has been completed for high-risk lakes including Katkar and Suru in Ladakh. Daily satellite-derived snow-cover mapping over the Indian Himalaya, including Ladakh, has been conducted continuously from 2019 till September 2025.
Additional monitoring includes mapping of 4,912 wetlands in collaboration with the University of Jammu and continuous monitoring of approximately 41 waterbodies larger than 5.0 hectares surface area through the Bhuvan Waterbody Information System since 2012. ISRO also uses satellite data to periodically update landslide inventory in the region.
Ongoing Satellite-Based Projects
Several specific projects are underway in Ladakh: The Cryosphere Science and Applications Programme (CAP) is an ongoing ISRO project monitoring snow and glaciers of the Himalaya-Karakoram region in collaboration with State agencies, academia and institutes. The Ladakh Specific Modelling and Space Applications (LAMA) project encompasses development of space inputs-based weather forecasting model, heavy rainfall alerts and hydrological simulations for estimating snow melt, glacial melt runoff and river discharge.
The Satellite Integrated Landslide Assessment and Alert System (SILAAS) project under ISRO-DMSP, undertaken since 2023, focuses on mapping landslides using satellite data and generating village-wise landslide alerts. The National Hydrology Project (2017-2025), sponsored by the Ministry of Jal Shakti, covers glacial lakes mapping, GLOF risk assessment, snow-cover monitoring, evapotranspiration and hydrological drought assessment.
The Geo-Ladakh project has developed a 'Spatial Data Infrastructure (SDI) Geoportal with Allied Database Development for UT-Ladakh', creating the 'Geo-Ladakh' geoportal and generating geospatial database of natural resources, energy, infrastructure and administrative boundaries along with capacity building.
Disaster Response and Capacity Building
ISRO/DOS is engaged in advanced R&D activities to strengthen space input-based early warning systems for GLOF, extreme weather events, and landslides, with outcomes beneficial for Ladakh. During response phases of major disasters, ISRO/DoS provides space-based information on floods, GLOF events and forest fires to the Ladakh UT.
Under the Space-based Information Support for Decentralised Planning (SISDP), ISRO/DoS has mapped Land Use/Land Cover, Drainage, Settlements, Slope, and Rail & Road infrastructure at a 1:10,000 scale hosted on the Bhuvan-Panchayat portal for developmental planning. Regular training programs are conducted for capacity building towards expanding the use of space technology for sustainable development and disaster risk reduction, with participants from Ladakh benefiting from these initiatives.
This information was formally disclosed by Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on July 29, 2026.