Turbulent airflow in the high-altitude mountain valleys makes it difficult to find suitable takeoff and landing sites; soft deposits on the valley floor can cause equipment to become stuck; and towering mountains can block signals, placing enormous pressure on communications support, Wu told the Global Times on Sunday.

　　To prevent secondary disasters, Xizang authorities are closely tracking the barrier lake, slopes and weather conditions while stepping up inspections at key sites to ensure post-disaster safety. At Gyirong Port, satellite remote sensing, drone swarms, emergency communications, 3D modeling and ground reconnaissance are forming a dynamic safety network to maximize the effectiveness of rescue operations in the rugged terrain, the Science and Technology Daily reported.

　　Wu also pointed out the longer term challenge to improve hazard identification, monitoring and early warning, and international cooperation amid glacier-related risk that spans national borders.

　　The affected region is located in the core ridge of Himalayas. The Gyirong Port area, given its extremely high altitude and harsh terrain, is sparsely populated; while the Nepali side is more densely populated. The joint warning mechanism requires international cooperation on information.

　　Another challenge is whether equipment can withstand the extreme cold and wide temperature swings in glacial areas, while limited communications further complicate deployment, Wu said.

　　Liu Qiao, a research fellow at the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment of Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the disaster-hit area lies in the Himalayan seismic belt together with extensive glacier distribution and is highly prone to cryosphere related geo-hazards.