India is installing advanced warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes that are at risk of overflowing. A deadly threat exacerbated by climate change with over 7,500 glacial lakes in the region, many of them pose a serious threat of flash floods.

India launches flood warning systems at 200 high-risk Himalayan glacial lakes

India is setting up high-tech warning systems at nearly 200 Himalayan glacial lakes at risk of bursting their banks, a deadly threat exacerbated by climate change, disaster officials said on Tuesday.

India to deploy flood warning systems at 200 high-risk Himalayan glacial lakes

A study by India's space agency, ISRO has found that over 27 per cent of the identified glacial lakes in the Himalayas have notably expanded since 1984 and 130 of those are in India.

27% of identified glacial lakes have expanded: Study

Glaciers have been melting increasingly due to climate change, and it was widely believed that they end up in oceans upon melting. However, recent studies have found that'll meltwater does not go into the oceans.

The volume of lakes formed by glacier's meltwater has increased to 50 per cent in the last 30 years, new satellite images and data has revealed.

"We have known that not all meltwater is making it into the oceans immediately," lead author Dan Shugar, a geomorphologist and associate professor at the University of Calgary, said in a statement.

"But until now there were no data to estimate how much was being stored in lakes or groundwater."

The study was published in&nbsp;Nature Climate Change on Monday. Shugar believes the study will help other scientists and researchers in identifying hazards to communities that live near these&nbsp;unstable lakes. The study can also help improve the accuracy of the estimates in sea level.

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/science/greenland-ice-has-shrunk-beyond-return-study-finds-320639">Also read:&nbsp;Greenland ice has shrunk beyond return, study finds</a>

The glacier lakes are highly unstable and pose a threat to communities living near it, as they are&nbsp;dammed by ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris. The water from these lakes can cause heavy floods.

Known as glacial lake outbursts, this kind of flooding has been responsible for thousands of deaths in the last century, as well as the destruction of villages, infrastructure and livestock, according to the study, published in Nature Climate Change.

The most recent recorded incident was a glacial lake outburst that washed through the Hunza Valley in Pakistan in May.

The other main sources of sea level rise are ice sheets and the expansion of ocean water as it warms.

"In the past 100 years, 35 percent of global sea-level rises came from glacier melting," Anders Levermann, climate professor at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact told media.

The glacier melt has increased as the Earth's temperature has increased one degree Celsius since preindustrial times&nbsp;and the temperature in high-mountain areas have increased twice that pace.

The recent study is based on&nbsp;based on 250,000 scenes from NASA's Landsat satellite missions. Through these images, it has been estimated that the current glacial lakes volume at more than 150 cubic kilometres (37 cubic miles), equivalent to one-third the volume of Lake Erie in the United States or twice the volume of Lake Geneva.

Earlier this year, the UN Development Programme had also estimated a threat to almost seven million people from the&nbsp;3,000 glacial lakes that have formed&nbsp;in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.

Glaciers have been melting increasingly due to climate change, and it was widely believed that they end up in oceans upon melting. However, recent studies have found that'll meltwater does not go into the oceans.

Glaciers have been melting increasingly due to climate change, and it was widely believed that they end up in oceans upon melting. However, recent studies have found that'll meltwater does not go into the oceans. The volume of lakes formed by glacier's meltwater has increased to 50 per cent in the last 30 years, new satellite images and data has revealed. "We have known that not all meltwater is making it into the oceans immediately," lead author Dan Shugar, a geomorphologist and associate professor at the University of Calgary, said in a statement. "But until now there were no data to estimate how much was being stored in lakes or groundwater." The study was published in Nature Climate Change on Monday. Shugar believes the study will help other scientists and researchers in identifying hazards to communities that live near these unstable lakes. The study can also help improve the accuracy of the estimates in sea level. Also read: Greenland ice has shrunk beyond return, study finds The glacier lakes are highly unstable and pose a threat to communities living near it, as they are dammed by ice or sediment composed of loose rock and debris. The water from these lakes can cause heavy floods. Known as glacial lake outbursts, this kind of flooding has been responsible for thousands of deaths in the last century, as well as the destruction of villages, infrastructure and livestock, according to the study, published in Nature Climate Change. The most recent recorded incident was a glacial lake outburst that washed through the Hunza Valley in Pakistan in May. The other main sources of sea level rise are ice sheets and the expansion of ocean water as it warms. "In the past 100 years, 35 percent of global sea-level rises came from glacier melting," Anders Levermann, climate professor at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Change Impact told media. The glacier melt has increased as the Earth's temperature has increased one degree Celsius since preindustrial times and the temperature in high-mountain areas have increased twice that pace. The recent study is based on based on 250,000 scenes from NASA's Landsat satellite missions. Through these images, it has been estimated that the current glacial lakes volume at more than 150 cubic kilometres (37 cubic miles), equivalent to one-third the volume of Lake Erie in the United States or twice the volume of Lake Geneva. Earlier this year, the UN Development Programme had also estimated a threat to almost seven million people from the 3,000 glacial lakes that have formed in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region.

Glacier lakes have increased 50% in last 30 years: Study

&nbsp;A survey conducted by a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/videos/anti-pakistan-protests-erupt-across-pok-gilgit-baltistan-6192" target="_blank">Pakistan</a> based NGO has declared 36 glacial lakes in various valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan as dangerous.

The survey added&nbsp;that seven of the glacial lakes pose&nbsp;a major threat to the people.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/members-of-baloch-and-sindhi-community-protest-against-pakistan-in-london-26418" target="_blank">Members of Baloch and Sindhi community protest against Pakistan in London</a>

After the survey experts attending a seminar in Islamabad also said that&nbsp;Gilgit-Baltistan is highly vulnerable to climate change.

&quot;The Khurdopin Glacier has touched the mountain which has formed a small lake. The lake is frozen at the moment, but from March onward, when the ice starts melting, the flow of water would be intense. We are not predicting immense damage, but footbridges and Shimshal Valley, which is very narrow in nature; the road there might get affected, said Dr. Nazeer Ahmed.

Also read: <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-pakistan-supports-kashmirs-aazadi-and-not-that-of-pok-26042" target="_blank">Opinion: Why Pakistan supports Kashmir&#39;s </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-pakistan-supports-kashmirs-aazadi-and-not-that-of-pok-26042" target="_blank">aazadi</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/opinion-why-pakistan-supports-kashmirs-aazadi-and-not-that-of-pok-26042" target="_blank"> and not that of PoK</a>

Officials from Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority, who were present during the seminar, are looking for measures&nbsp;to protect villagers during any disaster.

Gilgit-Baltistan, part of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir, is under the occupation of Pakistan since 1947.

Ever since its occupation, the region has been <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-expresses-concern-over-human-rights-situation-in-pakistan-controlled-kashmir-5456" target="_blank">misruled by Pakistan</a>.

The people from the region have been staging a frequent protest demanding basic rights for themselves and against the Pakistan government&#39;s oppression and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/gilgit-baltistan-mounts-voice-against-illegal-taxation-25730" target="_blank">illegal taxation</a>.

The entrance of China in Gilgit Baltistan has added to the suffering of the local people.

The people also claim that the region&#39;s resources are not utilised for their use.&nbsp;

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36 glacial lakes in various valleys of <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GilgitBaltistan?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GilgitBaltistan</a> declared dangerous due to melting, at least seven of them pose a threat to locals, says survey by a Pakistan based NGO. The region has been facing environmental issues since launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CPEC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CPEC</a>) <a href="https://t.co/gJHPYChJ67">pic.twitter.com/gJHPYChJ67</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/970131522786353154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 4, 2018</a></blockquote>
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(With inputs from ANI)

 
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A survey conducted by a Pakistan based NGO has declared 36 glacial lakes in various valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan as dangerous. The survey added that seven of the glacial lakes pose a major threat to the people

A survey conducted by a Pakistan based NGO has declared 36 glacial lakes in various valleys of Gilgit-Baltistan as dangerous. The survey added that seven of the glacial lakes pose a major threat to the people. Also read: Members of Baloch and Sindhi community protest against Pakistan in London After the survey experts attending a seminar in Islamabad also said that Gilgit-Baltistan is highly vulnerable to climate change. "The Khurdopin Glacier has touched the mountain which has formed a small lake. The lake is frozen at the moment, but from March onward, when the ice starts melting, the flow of water would be intense. We are not predicting immense damage, but footbridges and Shimshal Valley, which is very narrow in nature; the road there might get affected, said Dr. Nazeer Ahmed. Also read: Opinion: Why Pakistan supports Kashmir's aazadi and not that of PoK Officials from Gilgit Baltistan Disaster Management Authority, who were present during the seminar, are looking for measures to protect villagers during any disaster. Gilgit-Baltistan, part of the Pakistan occupied Kashmir, is under the occupation of Pakistan since 1947. Ever since its occupation, the region has been misruled by Pakistan. The people from the region have been staging a frequent protest demanding basic rights for themselves and against the Pakistan government's oppression and illegal taxation. The entrance of China in Gilgit Baltistan has added to the suffering of the local people. The people also claim that the region's resources are not utilised for their use. 36 glacial lakes in various valleys of #GilgitBaltistan declared dangerous due to melting, at least seven of them pose a threat to locals, says survey by a Pakistan based NGO. The region has been facing environmental issues since launch of China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (#CPEC) pic.twitter.com/gJHPYChJ67 — ANI (@ANI) March 4, 2018 × (With inputs from ANI)

36 glacial lakes in Gilgit-Baltistan turns dangerous due to CPEC: Survey

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