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As the world observes the first-ever United Nations World Day for Glaciers today, a report by Suhora Technologies, an Indian earth observation and analytics company, highlights a disturbing trend in the Himalayan region.
It reported that some glacial lakes are rapidly expanding, posing a growing risk to communities in the region. The United Nations organises the World Day for Glaciers, which aims to raise global awareness about the critical role glaciers, snow, and ice play in the climate system and global water security. The report calls for global action to preserve glaciers' essential role in sustaining life on Earth for future generations. The company which has issued the report maintains an extensive inventory of approximately 33,000 lakes spread across 630 glaciers in the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra basins of India and neighbouring regions. This data has been instrumental in assessing and identifying potential threats posed by glacial changes. According to the company's research, while not all lakes are expanding, some are showing alarming growth. The expansion of certain high-altitude glacial lakes, driven by accelerated glacial melt due to climate change, poses a serious risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs). These floods occur when natural dams that hold back glacial lakes fail, unleashing sudden, catastrophic floods. The 2023 South Lhonak Lake outburst in Sikkim serves as a chilling example of the devastation such floods can cause, wiping out infrastructure, disrupting livelihoods, and claiming lives. The report's data also reveals that glaciers themselves are retreating at an accelerated pace. One such example is a glacier located on the Nepal-China border, which has undergone significant changes in its shape, demonstrating substantial ice loss over time. According to the report, this pattern is consistent with wider trends across the region, which could have far-reaching consequences for water availability, agricultural productivity, and the overall livelihood of communities that depend on these glaciers for freshwater. "With glacial changes accelerating, a combination of early warning systems, controlled drainage techniques, and community preparedness programs is essential to reducing disaster risks," the report added. (ANI)
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