An icy warning: The Hindu Editorial on threats from contracting glaciers
1 year ago

An icy warning: The Hindu Editorial on threats from contracting glaciers

The Hindu  

Few barometers measure the climate crisis as evocatively as the state of glaciers, a key component of the cryosphere. The World Meteorological Organization’s recent report, The Global Climate 2011-2020, gives a broad view of the planet’s response to greenhouse gas emissions. In fact, some of the reference glaciers, which are used to make long-term assessments of glacier health, have already melted away as the nourishing winter snow is completely melting away during summer. Earlier this year, a separate report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development found that the disappearance of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas was “65% faster in the 2010s than in the previous decade”. Much like warnings before cyclones, floods and earthquakes, authorities must elevate threats from contracting glaciers to the same category of risk.

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History of this topic

Himalayan river basins under climate change threat, urgent action needed: Jal Shakti Ministry
3 weeks, 6 days ago

Himalayan river basins under climate change threat, urgent action needed: Jal Shakti Ministry

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The Union Ministry of Jalshakti ​has urged the need for climate mitigation to prevent a severe reduction in snow cover due to climate change. It stated that different fossil fuel emission scenarios lead to the melting of glaciers up to 44.45 per cent in the near future. The NGT had previously issued a notice to the ministry regarding …

NGT issues notice to govt, agencies over rapid expansion of Himalayan glacial lakes
3 weeks, 6 days ago

NGT issues notice to govt, agencies over rapid expansion of Himalayan glacial lakes

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: The National Green Tribunal has issued notice to the Centre and its agencies regarding the rapid expansion of the Himalayan glacial lakes, raising concerns over the increasing risk of natural disasters. The report indicated the expansion of Himalayan glacial lakes by 11 per cent in over a decade, raising serious flood threat concerns. The NGT issued notice to …

India faces growing threat due to outburst of glacial lakes, says report
1 month, 2 weeks ago

India faces growing threat due to outburst of glacial lakes, says report

India Today  

India is facing an escalating threat as glacial lakes and water bodies across the Himalayan region have expanded by 11 per cent since 2011, a recent report by the Central Water Commission. Released in September, the report underscores the growing risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods as climate change accelerates glacial melting and lake expansion. The latest report from September …

Himalayan Glacial Lakes See 10.81% Expansion, Heightened Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
Trending News
1 month, 3 weeks ago

Himalayan Glacial Lakes See 10.81% Expansion, Heightened Risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods

The Hindu  

Himalayan glacial lakes saw a significant area expansion from 2011 to 2024 due to climate change, posing a potential risk of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). The total inventory area of glacial lakes within India was 1,962 hectares in 2011 and has increased to 2,623 hectares in 2024, with a 33.7% increase. The lakes in India experienced an even more …

Expeditions to study high-risk glacial lakes in Himalayas begin
4 months ago

Expeditions to study high-risk glacial lakes in Himalayas begin

Hindustan Times  

Over the last few months, around 16 teams of officials from the National Disaster Management Authority, scientists and security officials have taken up expeditions to glaciers at an altitude of 4500m and above to map the threat they could pose to populations downstream in the event of a glacial lake outburst. Of the nearly 7,500 glacial lakes in the Indian …

NDMA to monitor 189 high-risk glacial lakes to prevent disasters
4 months ago

NDMA to monitor 189 high-risk glacial lakes to prevent disasters

The Hindu  

Following disasters inflicted by overflowing glacial lakes in the Himalayas, the National Disaster Management Authority has finalised a list of 189 “high-risk” glacial lakes for mitigation measures to reduce the risk emanating from them. There are nearly 7,500 glacial lakes in the Himalayan mountain ranges located in India and some of them are being monitored via remote sensing. This week, …

Looming danger of ever-expanding glacial lakes in the Himalayas
7 months, 3 weeks ago

Looming danger of ever-expanding glacial lakes in the Himalayas

New Indian Express  

NEW DELHI: Remember the South Lhonak glacial lake outburst floods in Sikkim in October last year that washed away an entire army camp downstream, including personnel, trucks and munitions in a sudden gush of icy water? ISRO’s latest report suggests that around 28% of the identified Himalayan glacial lakes that are larger than 10 hectares, have expanded since 1984. “ISRO’s …

Hundreds of glacial lakes expanding in Himalayan region, flags ISRO
8 months ago

Hundreds of glacial lakes expanding in Himalayan region, flags ISRO

Hindustan Times  

A little over one in every four glacial lakes larger than 10 hectares in area in the Himalayas have increased in size since 1984, increasing the risk of a glacial lake outburst flood or GLOF, a phenomenon that’s become common on account of the climate crisis. Long term satellite imagery covering the Himalayas has revealed that of the 2,431 glacial …

Climate Change: 89% of glacial lakes in Indian Himalayas expanding at unprecedented rate, says ISRO. What are the risks?
8 months ago

Climate Change: 89% of glacial lakes in Indian Himalayas expanding at unprecedented rate, says ISRO. What are the risks?

Live Mint  

Indian Space Research Organisation said on Monday an analysis of decades of satellite imagery has revealed that glaciers across the Indian Himalayas—often called the Third Pole because of extensive glaciers and snow cover—are melting at an unprecedented rate, resulting in significant expansion of the glacial lakes. These bodies of water, created by the melting of glaciers, are known as glacial …

Happy ending and a call for caution
1 year ago

Happy ending and a call for caution

Hindustan Times  

The nation heaved a collective sigh of relief when the last of the 41 labourers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in the Himalayas near Uttarkashi, the roof of which had collapsed 17 days earlier, was rescued on Tuesday night. This great escape was a story of human endurance, grit and ingenuity with a group of 14 artisanal miners from Uttar …

Mitigating tragedies in the Himalayan region
1 year, 1 month ago

Mitigating tragedies in the Himalayan region

The Hindu  

The recent glacial lake outburst flood in Sikkim wreaked havoc along the Teesta river, bringing into focus the magnifying risk of climate change-induced GLOF across the Indian Himalayan Region. In mountains, hazards often occur in a cascading fashion — heavy rainfall triggers a landslide, which may in turn cause a glacial lake outburst and more landslides downstream, and create conditions …

Sikkim’s Lhonak lake still at risk of GLOF, floods: Experts
1 year, 2 months ago

Sikkim’s Lhonak lake still at risk of GLOF, floods: Experts

Hindustan Times  

New Delhi: The risk of another glacier lake outburst flood downstream of South Lhonak lake in Sikkim is still real, glaciologists and expertswarned, recommending that the glacier should be monitored effectively. Experts warn about the risk of another glacier lake outburst flood downstream of South Lhonak lake in Sikkim. According to glaciologists at the Divecha Centre for Climate Change, Indian …

Early warning system for India's flooded glacial lake was delayed by a year
1 year, 2 months ago

Early warning system for India's flooded glacial lake was delayed by a year

The Hindu  

An early warning system for glacial floods was due to have been installed in the Indian Himalayas last year, but work on the project only began in September, officials said, too late to raise the alarm before last week's floods that killed dozens. Reuters first reported that scientists were working on an early warning system at Lhonak Lake in the …

What caused the flood in Sikkim? | Explained
1 year, 2 months ago

What caused the flood in Sikkim? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: More than 25 people have been confirmed dead, and many more are missing from a massive flood that resulted from a glacier-lake outburst in Sikkim in the early hours of October 4. “There was heavy rain in south Sikkim but nothing remarkable in the northern region,” M. Mohapatra, Director General, India Meteorological Department told The Hindu. …

The acronym you need to learn today: GLOF
1 year, 2 months ago

The acronym you need to learn today: GLOF

Hindustan Times  

At least 22 people were killed and over a hundred were missing after incessant rain and the collapse of what is known as a glacial lake sent torrents of water down the Teesta river, which washed away homes, smashed through close to a dozen bridges and cleaved a hydroelectricity dam that powered the remote north Sikkim region. Disaster struck at …

Spike in flash floods raises concern of ‘micro’ climate changes in Himachal
1 year, 3 months ago

Spike in flash floods raises concern of ‘micro’ climate changes in Himachal

The Hindu  

The number of flash flood events in Himachal Pradesh has surged dangerously over the past few years, killing hundreds of people, damaging critical infrastructure, and raising concern about the ecologically fragile Himalayan region. This compares with 10 incidents of flash floods in the 2020 monsoon season, 16 in 2021 and 75 last year, as per data from the State’s Disaster …

Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe
1 year, 4 months ago

Bursting ice dam in Alaska highlights risks of glacial flooding around the globe

Associated Press  

JUNEAU, Alaska — The gray, two-story home with white trim toppled and slid, crashing into the river below as rushing waters carried off a bobbing chunk of its roof. The destruction came over the weekend as a glacial dam burst in Alaska’s capital, swelling the levels of the Mendenhall River to an unprecedented degree. Chris Winter stands in her home …

Melting of Ladakh glacier could form three glacial lakes: Study
1 year, 4 months ago

Melting of Ladakh glacier could form three glacial lakes: Study

The Hindu  

Accelerated melting of the Himalayan Parkachik Glacier in Ladakh could give rise to three glacial lakes with an average depth ranging between 34 and 84 metres, scientists have found. These lakes could be a potential source of glacial lake outburst floods in the Himalayas, the scientists from the Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, Dehradun, said. The glacier's yearly melting rate …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn't controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn't controlled, study finds

The Hindu  

June 22, 2023 01:51 pm | Updated 02:45 pm IST Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren't sharply reduced, according to a report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled, study finds

Associated Press  

BENGALURU, India — Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t sharply reduced, according to a report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of volume if global warming is not controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of volume if global warming is not controlled, study finds

LA Times  

Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain range and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t sharply reduced, according to a new report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate change,” said …

Why glacial ice melt from climate change is so dangerous : Short Wave : NPR
1 year, 8 months ago

Why glacial ice melt from climate change is so dangerous : Short Wave : NPR

NPR  

Melting glaciers threaten millions of people. toggle caption Ryan Kellman/NPR Glaciers are melting rapidly because of climate change. In recent years, multiple glacial lake floods have displaced and killed people. In today's episode, Rebecca Hersher and Ryan Kellman from NPR's climate desk share reporting from the front lines of this problem, in the Himalayan mountains of Nepal. Sponsor Message This …

Himalayan rivers like Indus, Ganges will see flows reduced as glaciers recede: UN
1 year, 9 months ago

Himalayan rivers like Indus, Ganges will see flows reduced as glaciers recede: UN

Deccan Chronicle  

United Nations: UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres warned that major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and Brahmaputra, all hugely important for India, could see reductions in their flows as glaciers and ice sheets recede over the coming decades due to global warming. "As glaciers and ice sheets continue to recede over the coming decades, major Himalayan rivers like …

Major Himalayan rivers like Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra will see their flows reduced as glaciers recede: U.N. Chief
1 year, 9 months ago

Major Himalayan rivers like Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra will see their flows reduced as glaciers recede: U.N. Chief

The Hindu  

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges, and Brahmaputra, all hugely important for India, could see reductions in their flows as glaciers and ice sheets recede over the coming decades due to global warming. "As glaciers and ice sheets continue to recede over the coming decades, major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the …

50 lakh people in India, Pakistan vulnerable to deadly glacial floods due to climate crisis
1 year, 10 months ago

50 lakh people in India, Pakistan vulnerable to deadly glacial floods due to climate crisis

India Today  

Several parts of India were hit by disastrous floods in 2022 while Pakistan witnessed biblical flooding as most of the country was submerged, but that was just the beginning it seems. An international team of researchers has now found that 50 lakh people living in India and Pakistan are at risk from flooding caused by glacial lakes triggered by climate …

Glacial lake floods threaten communities in Asia, South America
1 year, 10 months ago

Glacial lake floods threaten communities in Asia, South America

The Hindu  

Melting mountain glaciers pose a growing flood risk to some 15 million people around the world, researchers said in a report published on Tuesday, with communities in Asia facing the biggest danger. "Our work does not just focus on the size or number of glacier lakes - no disaster is natural - it is the presence of people, especially vulnerable …

Study: 15 million people live under threat of glacial floods
1 year, 10 months ago

Study: 15 million people live under threat of glacial floods

Associated Press  

As glaciers melt and pour massive amounts of water into nearby lakes, 15 million people across the globe live under the threat of a sudden and deadly outburst flood, a new study finds. More than half of those living in the shadow of the disaster called glacial lake outburst floods are in just four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China, …

What Pakistan floods indicate about India’s future?
2 years, 3 months ago

What Pakistan floods indicate about India’s future?

Live Mint  

The oft uttered refrain- 'Climate change and it Consequences'- have manifested in the recent years with increased number of forest fires, depleting non-renewable source of energy, massive floods killing thousands at a time. “The heat waves this year and the massive floods in Pakistan are a warning,” said Azam, the Indian glaciologist to Bloomberg, “This is the point at which …

Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever before
3 years ago

Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than ever before

Live Mint  

Back in February this year, Lounge carried an in-depth cover story on how climate change was wrecking havoc on the Himalaya. A new study, published in the journal Scientific Reports on 20 December, re-iterates these warnings, while stating that Himalayan glaciers are melting at a rate that’s faster than ever before. The report, Accelerated Mass Loss Of Himalayan Glaciers Since …

Himalayan glaciers melting at exceptional rate due to global warming, says study
3 years ago

Himalayan glaciers melting at exceptional rate due to global warming, says study

India Today  

Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an "exceptional" rate because of global warming, threatening the water supply of millions of people in Asia, according to a study published on Monday. The researchers found that the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 …

Himalayan glaciers melting at 'exceptional rate' due to global warming: Study
3 years ago

Himalayan glaciers melting at 'exceptional rate' due to global warming: Study

Hindustan Times  

Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an "exceptional" rate because of global warming, threatening the water supply of millions of people in Asia, according to a study published on Monday. The researchers found that the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 …

Nearly one-third of Uttarakhand's tehsils are at risk of glacial floods
3 years, 10 months ago

Nearly one-third of Uttarakhand's tehsils are at risk of glacial floods

India Today  

Nearly one-third of Uttarakhand is at risk of devastating glacier floods, like the one that shook Chamoli district. A recent flash flood in the Chamoli district swamped hundreds of people and wiped out newly constructed dams and bridges and two power projects in the Tapovan area of the district on Sunday.. India Today’s Data Intelligence Unit has analysed the study …

‘Himalayas are fragile and host to several complex processes that need to be monitored’
3 years, 10 months ago

‘Himalayas are fragile and host to several complex processes that need to be monitored’

The Hindu  

On February 7, a flash flood hurtled down in Chamoli, Uttarakhand killing at least 31 and destroying two hydropower projects. Kalachand Sain, Director, WIHG, says in an interview to The Hindu’s Jacob Koshy, that it was large rock falling on a hanging glacier that precipitated the avalanche and flood. The impact from the falling rock broke it and this mass …

Ice, Rock Avalanche May Have Triggered Flash Floods, Says Met Organisation on Uttarakhand Disaster
3 years, 10 months ago

Ice, Rock Avalanche May Have Triggered Flash Floods, Says Met Organisation on Uttarakhand Disaster

News 18  

The World Meteorological Organisation on Tuesday said the exact cause of the flash flood in Uttarakhand’s Rishiganga Valley has not been ascertained yet but the agency suggested that the early assessment indicates a large avalanche of ice and rock leading to the event. The India Meteorological Department said that the higher temperatures were reported at the times of the flash …

Himalayan glacier disaster highlights climate change risks
3 years, 10 months ago

Himalayan glacier disaster highlights climate change risks

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — When Ravi Chopra saw the devastating deluge of water and debris crash downstream from a Himalayan glacier on Sunday, his first thought was that this was exactly the scenario that his team had warned the Indian government of in 2014. They had warned that warming due to climate change was melting the Himalayan glaciers and facilitated avalanches …

Warning System, Glacier Studies: Glaciologists Suggest Ways to Address Uttarakhand-like Tragedies
3 years, 10 months ago

Warning System, Glacier Studies: Glaciologists Suggest Ways to Address Uttarakhand-like Tragedies

News 18  

While the investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of flash flood in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district, it is being suspected that either an avalanche or a glacier lake outburst flood was responsible for it. This warming has led to a significant melting and decline in glacier mass over the Himalayan region in recent decades.” Despite the rapid modification in glacial …

Climate Change, Western Disturbance, or Both? Scientists Ponder Reasons for Uttarakhand Floods
3 years, 10 months ago

Climate Change, Western Disturbance, or Both? Scientists Ponder Reasons for Uttarakhand Floods

News 18  

New Delhi: Global warming or maybe a Western disturbance bringing fresh snow that melted could have triggered the inundation in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, experts said on Monday as they scrambled to understand the reasons for the avalanche and floods that wreaked havoc in the upper reaches of the Himalayas. Climate change driven erratic weather patterns like increased snowfall and rainfall, …

Uttarakhand Floods: How Glaciers Burst and Send Floods Downstream
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand Floods: How Glaciers Burst and Send Floods Downstream

News 18  

The floods that slammed into two hydroelectric plants and damaged villages in northern India were set off by a break on a Himalayan glacier upstream. Here's a look at how glaciers and glacial lakes form and why they may sometimes break: HOW GLACIERS AND GLACIAL LAKES FORM Glaciers are found on every continent except Australia and some are hundreds of …

EXPLAINER: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream
3 years, 10 months ago

EXPLAINER: How glaciers can burst and send floods downstream

Associated Press  

The floods that slammed into two hydroelectric plants and damaged villages in northern India were set off by a break on a Himalayan glacier upstream. It’s not yet known what caused part of the Nanda Devi glacier to snap off Sunday morning, sending floodwater surging downstream toward power plants and villages in India’s northern state of Uttarakhand. “Most mountain glaciers …

Global warming and vanishing glaciers: Is rising temperature behind Uttarakhand disaster?
3 years, 10 months ago

Global warming and vanishing glaciers: Is rising temperature behind Uttarakhand disaster?

India Today  

The disaster in Uttarakhand has once again turned the spotlight on climate change and its impact on ecology. A study by IIT Kanpur and Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology shows nearly 26 square kilometres of the glaciated area of Nanda Devi region was lost in 37 years. India has witnessed more than half degree Celsius rise in average temperature …

Uttarakhand glacier burst: Experts cite impact of climate crisis
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand glacier burst: Experts cite impact of climate crisis

Hindustan Times  

Massive inundation in Uttarakhand’s Rishi Ganga valley caused by a suspected glacial lake outburst flood on a clear winter’s day has unnerved scientists. It’s possible that water and debris accumulated in a lake in the glacial region of Rishi Ganga valley breached due to an avalanche. “Due to the fact that a number of glacial lakes exist within the limits …

Uttarakhand tragedy: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand tragedy: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

India TV News  

A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, recalling a 2019 study that warned about the dangers of climate change and said Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century. Two years earlier in June 2019, a study spanning 40 years of satellite …

Uttarakhand Flood: Green Experts Point at Increased Human Intervention in Himalayan Region
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand Flood: Green Experts Point at Increased Human Intervention in Himalayan Region

News 18  

Increasing human intervention in ecologically sensitive Himalayan region is making it more vulnerable to climate change, environment experts said on Sunday as a glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, triggering massive flood in the state. While exact cause of this incident is yet to be ascertained and needs an honest investigation, it is evident that increasing human …

Uttarakhand glacier burst | Experts point to climate change impact
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand glacier burst | Experts point to climate change impact

The Hindu  

A deluge that resulted from a glacial melt on Nanda Devi flooded the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand and washed away at least two hydroelectric power projects — the13.2 MW Rishiganga hydroelectric power project and the Tapovan project on the Dhauliganga river, a tributary of the Alakananda. Glacier retreat and permafrost thaw are projected to decrease the stability of mountain slopes …

Uttarakhand flood: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand flood: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

The Hindu  

As a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, a study published in 2019 had warned that Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century due to climate change. The 2019 study, spanning 40 years of satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and …

Uttarakhand Disaster May be Due to Water Pocket Burst, a Climate Change Event, Say Scientists
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand Disaster May be Due to Water Pocket Burst, a Climate Change Event, Say Scientists

News 18  

A massive flood in Uttarakhand’s Joshimath area on Sunday is a rare incident of a glacial burst, and may be “a climate change event”, say leading climate scientists. Another scientist, Anjal Prakash, who is the Research Director and Adjunct Associate Professor at the Indian School of Business in Hyderabad, said prima facie this looks very much like a climate change …

Lessons from Ladakh’s glacial lake outburst
4 years, 1 month ago

Lessons from Ladakh’s glacial lake outburst

The Hindu  

In August 2014, a glacial lake outburst flood hit the village of Gya in Ladakh, destroying houses, fields and bridges. Using remote sensing data, researchers from Germany have mapped the evolution of Gya glacial lake and note the cause of the flood. “It is almost certain that other glacial lake outburst floods will happen all over the Indian Himalaya. In …

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