Climate change caused the area of glacial lakes and other water bodies in the Himalayan region to rise by 10.81% between 2011 and 2024, indicating a higher danger of glacial lake outburst floods. According to the Central Water Commission’s data, which PTI was able to see, the lakes in India saw an even more significant surge with a 33.7% increase in surface area. In 2011, the total area of glacier lakes in India was 1,962 hectares; by 2024, that number had grown to 2,623 hectares. A 33.7% increase in area has occurred.
Additionally, it found that 67 lakes in India had surface area increases of more than 40%, making them high-risk for possible GLOFs. The most significant expansions were seen in Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh, indicating a higher danger of GLOFs and the necessity of more stringent monitoring and readiness for disasters.
Climate change caused the total area of glacial lakes and other water bodies in the Himalayan region to expand by 10.81%, from 5,33,401 hectares in 2011 to 5,91,108 hectares in 2024. These lakes’ quick growth is thought to be caused by the glaciers melting more quickly as a result of the region’s warming temperatures, which could have detrimental effects on the infrastructure, biodiversity, and communities downstream.
