‘Millions’ in India, Pakistan at risk of flooding from glacial lakes: What a new study says

Source: The post is based on the article “‘Millions’ in India, Pakistan at risk of flooding from glacial lakes: What a new study says” published in Indian Express on 21st February 2023.

What is the News?

A study has been published in the journal Nature titled ‘Glacial lake outburst floods(GLOF) threaten millions globally’.

What are Glacial Lake Outburst Floods(GLOF)?

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GLOFs have been taking place since the ice age. But the risk has increased multifold due to climate change.

According to a 2020 study, the number and total area of glacial lakes worldwide have increased by about 50% since 1990.

GLOFs can prove to be catastrophic as they mostly arrive with little warning and result in large-scale destruction of property, infrastructure, and agricultural land. They can also lead to the death of hundreds of people.

What are the key findings of the study?

Firstly, around 15 million people across the world face the risk of sudden and deadly flooding from glacial lakes. More than half of those who could be impacted live in four countries: India, Pakistan, Peru and China.

Secondly, glacial flood risks don’t only depend on the size and number of glacial lakes in an area. What also matters is the number of people living in the area, their proximity to the danger zone as well as the levels of social vulnerability.

– For instance, areas like Greenland and Canada, which have a large number of glacial lakes, have very few people who are vulnerable to GLOFs as their population and corruption levels are low.

– On the other hand, the number and size of glacial lakes in areas like India and Pakistan isn’t as large as in Greenland. But it’s that extremely large population and the fact that they are highly vulnerable means Pakistan and India have some of the highest GLOF danger globally.