PSI Senior Scientist Jeff Kargel was awarded the Nepal Geographical Society Honorary Life Membership on the basis of his work on Himalayan natural hazards and geomorphology. That work included applied science and science in support of humanitarian activity, including his response to the 2015 earthquake in Nepal, his research that led to the lowering of Imja Lake to reduce its hazard, and work regarding several other natural disaster events and hazards. The work for which he was recognized also included the basic science examination of glacial lake accelerated melting of glaciers, the mass balance of Himalayan glaciers, and the role of lithology and bedrock geology in controlling landslides.
