PDF
Safety
Warning signs 600 × 900 mm
Primary sign layout for placement in potentially dangerous areas.
454 KB
Mudflow SOS
QR page for the mudflow early warning system in Ala-Archa
This page brings together the QR code, visitor instructions, and printable materials. It is designed to work well on a phone in the field and give quick access to the right PDF or document.
A siren and the message “Alarm. MUDFLOW” mean there is a risk of a mudflow.
Estimated reaction time after the signal: 3 to 7 minutes.
The QR code leads to instructions, files, and printable materials.
If you hear the warning signal
Do not stay in the riverbed. The signal means immediate evacuation from a potentially dangerous area.
QR Code
Scan and open the page right on your phone
The QR can be printed, placed on a signboard, or shared with colleagues. The files are already attached here, so the page works both as an access point and as a compact material archive.
How the warning works
The Ala-Archa valley is exposed to mudflows caused by glacial lake outbursts. An early warning system is installed in the park: it detects the threat and tells people to evacuate immediately.
1
Loud siren
The siren is audible across the valley within the covered area.
2
Voice message
Loudspeakers announce “Alarm. MUDFLOW”.
3
Warning boards
Black text on a yellow background in potentially dangerous zones.
What the signal means
If you hear the siren or the message “Alarm. MUDFLOW”, the system has detected a mudflow threat.
3–7 minutes
time before a possible mudflow, depending on where you are
Why the danger exists
Glacial lakes in the upper park fill quickly as the glacier melts and can burst down the valley as a mudflow.
Traces left by mudflows in the park
Signs in the park
Yellow boards mark potentially dangerous zones. Signs with black arrows on yellow point to a safe direction; green ones mark a safe zone.
Evacuation map
In preparation
About the warning system
- The automated monitoring and warning system was installed in 2011 by the Institute of Water Problems and Hydropower of the National Academy of Sciences.
- A siren and a voice message are triggered when a mudflow threat is detected.
- In 2025 the system was modernised and extended under the GLOFCA project.
- The signal covers 1 km along the valley: 500 m up and down from the installation.
When the system worked
On 31 July 2012 the system triggered during the outburst of Tez-Tor lake in the upper Adygene. The timely signal allowed park staff, local residents and tourists to be evacuated. There were no casualties.
The GLOFCA project
The regional project “Reducing vulnerability of Central Asian populations to glacial lake outburst floods in a changing climate” is run by the UNESCO Regional Office in Almaty with funding from the Adaptation Fund, through 2027. It develops early warning, monitoring and public information, and strengthens safety in mountain areas.
More about the GLOFCA project
What to do after the signal
A short guide for an emergency situation.
1
Stay calm and do not panic.
2
Listen to the instructions given over the loudspeakers.
3
Leave the dangerous area at once, following the evacuation routes.
4
If there are no signs nearby, head uphill or toward the nearest safe exit.
5
Get out of the riverbed immediately: even a small flow can be deadly.
6
Help children, women, elderly people and people with disabilities.
7
Wait for further instructions from park staff or the emergency services.
8
Do not return to the dangerous area without official permission.
Materials on this page
PDFs are ready for quick viewing, while the DOCX stays as the working source file.