Peru Warns Glacial Lake Flood Could Hit 22,000 in Caraz
PERU · ENVIRONMENT
Key Facts
- —The country Peru, on South America’s Pacific coast, holds the Cordillera Blanca, which UNESCO calls the world’s highest tropical mountain range.
- —What happened In a statement on Monday 12 October, Environment Minister Vladimiro Huaroc urged joint action on the flood risk at Laguna Parón, a glacial lake.
- —The number State glacier scientists estimate a flood from the lake could affect more than 22,000 people in the town of Caraz.
- —The place Laguna Parón sits at 4,185 metres (13,730 feet) in Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985.
- —Why now The ministry wants preventive steps in place before Peru’s Andean rainy season begins.
- —Still open The ministry announced no evacuation, emergency decree or visitor closure on Monday.
Peru’s environment ministry warned on Monday 12 October that a glacial lake flood from Laguna Parón could affect over 22,000 people in Caraz. The lake is a visitor attraction in Huascarán National Park, a UNESCO-listed climbing and trekking area in the Áncash region.
The ministry announced no evacuation or closure. Environment Minister Vladimiro Huaroc asked officials at every level of government to act early, before the rainy season.
What the Minister Said in Áncash
Huaroc led a working meeting at the regional emergency operations centre in Áncash, the Ministry of the Environment (Minam) said on Monday. Peru’s civil defence agency, its water authority and its glacier institute were among those at the table.
He asked the agencies to decide who operates and maintains the lake’s water-control works. He also called for closer monitoring and better coordination between them, the ministry said.
Huaroc, a former governor of the Junín region, joined the cabinet of conservative President Keiko Fujimori in July, Actualidad Ambiental reported.
“The lessons of the past remind us of the importance of anticipating risks and acting in time to protect the population,” Huaroc said.
Why Laguna Parón Worries Scientists
INAIGEM, Peru’s state institute for research on glaciers and mountain ecosystems, assessed the danger. Its evaluations put more than 22,000 Caraz residents at risk from a possible glacial lake flood, Minam said.
In Spanish such a flood is called an aluvión, a fast surge of water, mud and rock. The ministry said a Parón flood could hit with an impact similar to the 1970 aluvión that buried the town of Yungay.
An INAIGEM study modelled an extreme case, the environmental news site Actualidad Ambiental reported in May 2021. In it, a 136,000-cubic-metre avalanche from the Hatunraju glacier hits the lake and sets off a surge of water and debris.
That would release more than 18 million cubic metres of water, roughly 7,200 Olympic swimming pools, toward Caraz. The study put possible losses above 300 million soles (about US$87 million at 3.43 soles to the US dollar on 13 October 2026).
A glacial lake flood is a growing worry across the Andes as glaciers shrink. In August, Peruvian authorities flagged 152 glacial lakes at high risk of bursting.
A Lake With a History of Alarms
Parón is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca and sits at 4,185 metres above sea level, the business daily Gestión reported.
In June 2019, Peru declared an emergency at the lake after its level passed safe limits, the state news agency Andina reported. The decree, signed by then-President Martín Vizcarra, also named risks to the Cañón del Pato hydroelectric plant.
In July 2023, an avalanche and falling rock hit the lake. Peru’s national emergency centre and INAIGEM then rated the glacial lake flood danger “very high”, Gestión reported.
Park authorities and INAIGEM restricted visitor access to the lake that month, according to Gestión and La República. An INAIGEM report found nearly 80% of homes in the lower Llullán-Parón valley highly vulnerable, La República reported.
What It Means for You
Minam announced no evacuation, travel ban or new closure for Laguna Parón on Monday. Visitors planning a trip should still watch for glacial lake flood warnings as the rainy season nears.
Huascarán National Park has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1985. Its namesake peak rises to 6,768 metres (22,205 feet), UNESCO says.
The US State Department rates Peru at Level 2, “Exercise Increased Caution,” and its advisory does not single out Áncash. Before a trip to the lake, check with Sernanp, Peru’s national parks service, because access was restricted at short notice in 2023.
Peru is also holding a nationwide disaster drill on the evening of Tuesday 13 October.
What Is Not Known
Minam did not say which agency will take charge of the lake’s water-control works, or when.
The ministry published no current lake level and did not say how likely a glacial lake flood is in a given year. Minam did not mention any change to visitor access.
Minam said agreements with local communities and water users are needed to manage the lake and avoid conflict. It did not name those groups or set a date for talks.
More: Peru news in English, every day from The Rio Times.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Laguna Parón?
It is a glacial lake at 4,185 metres in Huascarán National Park, in Peru’s Áncash region. It is the largest lake in the Cordillera Blanca and a visitor attraction.
How many people could a glacial lake flood from Parón affect?
More than 22,000 people in Caraz, according to INAIGEM evaluations cited by Peru’s environment ministry on 12 October 2026. It is a risk scenario, not a forecast.
Is Laguna Parón closed to visitors?
The ministry announced no closure on 12 October 2026. Park authorities restricted access to the lake at short notice in July 2023, so check with Sernanp before you go.
What happened in Yungay in 1970?
In 1970 an earthquake and an aluvión, a flood of mud and rock, struck Áncash, and the flood buried the town of Yungay. Peru’s environment ministry said a Parón flood could have a similar impact.
Sources: Ministerio del Ambiente (Minam): Ministro Vladimiro Huaroc llama a unir esfuerzos para prevenir riesgos de aluvión en la laguna Parón en Áncash, 12 October 2026; Gestión: Restringen acceso a la laguna Parón en Áncash por peligro de desborde, 20 July 2023; La República: Áncash, laguna de Parón amenaza con desbordarse, 22 July 2023; Andina: Gobierno declara en emergencia a la laguna Parón en Áncash por peligro de desembalse, 14 June 2019; Actualidad Ambiental: Áncash, evalúan riesgos para prevenir desborde de la laguna Parón, 17 May 2021; Actualidad Ambiental: ¿Quién es Vladimiro Huaroc, el nuevo ministro del Ambiente?, 28 July 2026; UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Huascarán National Park, accessed 13 October 2026; US Department of State: Peru Travel Advisory, 16 May 2025.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated newsroom system. How we use AI · Report an error · Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Editor-in-Chief