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

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 (CWC).
Released in September, the report underscores the growing risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) as climate change accelerates glacial melting and lake expansion. This expansion is largely driven by global warming, the report said.
The trend of expanding glacial lakes is not limited to India; it is even more pronounced in neighbouring China. Larger lakes in China are growing at a faster rate than those in India. In China, two large lakes and 14 water bodies over 50 hectares have expanded by more than 40 per cent, posing transboundary risks. Such expansions heighten the risk of catastrophic glacial lake outburst floods, which can unleash devastating floods downstream, impacting lives and infrastructure.
The CWC began monitoring glacial lakes in 2009 to enhance assessment and preparedness strategies. In its 2011 inventory, the CWC recorded 2,028 glacial lakes and water bodies larger than 10 hectares. Since then, using advanced tools like remote sensing, satellite imagery, and cloud platforms such as Google Earth Engine, CWC has prioritised monitoring 902 critical water bodies.
The latest report from September 2024 reveals a 10.81 per cent area increase in 544 glacial lakes and 358 water bodies over the past decade. While China shows the highest rate of expansion, similar trends are appearing in India, where 67 lakes have grown significantly.
Recent data from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) highlights the growing threat of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). ICIMOD’s analysis shows that over 70 per cent of the 700 recorded GLOF events since 1833 have occurred in the last 50 years, illustrating the accelerating impact of climate change on glacial stability.
The year 1980 saw the highest number of GLOF incidents, with 15 events, followed closely by 2015 with 13. Other years with significant occurrences include 1973, 1974, 2002, and 2010, each with 10 recorded events. Defined by ICIMOD, a GLOF is a sudden release of water from a glacial-fed lake, often triggered by natural events like avalanches, rock falls, or landslides. These events have had devastating consequences, resulting in over 7,000 fatalities across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region since 1833.
ICIMOD’s report, Glacial Lake Outburst Floods in High Mountain Asia, reveals that 54 per cent of GLOF incidents were triggered by mass movements such as avalanches and landslides, while extreme rainfall accounted for 18 per cent of events.
In response to the escalating threat of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), the Centre has initiated work on setting up an early warning system (EWS) for 188 high-risk lakes in the Indian Himalayan Region. This initiative is part of the government’s GLOF EWS Mission, which was launched following the devastating disaster in Sikkim on October 3, 2023, that claimed over 40 lives.
These efforts highlight the urgent need for comprehensive strategies and preventive measures as the frequency and intensity of GLOFs continue to increase.