Note4Students
From UPSC perspective, the following things are important :
Prelims level: Climate Change; GLOFS;
Mains level: Climate change and concerns;
Why in the news?
Recently, the Uttarakhand government has constituted two teams of experts to evaluate the risk posed by five potentially hazardous glacial lakes in the region.
Context:
- The Hazardous Glacial Lakes are prone to Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), the kind of events that have resulted in several disasters in the Himalayan states in recent years.
- The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), which operates under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs, has identified 188 glacial lakes in the Himalayan states that can potentially be breached because of heavy rainfall. Thirteen of them are in Uttarakhand.
About Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs):GLOFs are disaster events caused by the abrupt discharge of water from glacial lakes large bodies of water that sit in front of, on top of, or beneath a melting glacier. As a glacier withdraws, it leaves behind a depression that gets filled with meltwater, thereby forming a lake. Example: 4 october 2023 GLOFs in Sikkim. |
Factors behind the GLOFs:
- Avalanches or Landslides: Incidents such as avalanches or landslides can also impact the stability of the boundary around a glacial lake, leading to its failure, and the rapid discharge of water.
- Due to climate change: Rising surface temperatures across the globe, including India, have increased the risk of GLOFs. Studies have shown that around 15 million people face the risk of sudden and deadly flooding from glacial lakes, which are expanding and rising in numbers due to global warming.
- Rapid infrastructure development in vulnerable areas has also contributed to the spike in such incidents.
- Sizable ice chunks in the lake: GLOFs can be triggered by various reasons, including glacial calving, where sizable ice chunks detach from the glacier into the lake, inducing sudden water displacement.
Why are GLOFs under the spotlight?
- Increased Frequency of GLOFs: Since 1980, GLOFs have become more frequent in the Himalayan region, particularly in southeastern Tibet and the China-Nepal border area. This indicates a concerning trend of glacial melting and lake formation as per Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research in China
- Extent of Potential Risk: The analysis by Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research in China suggests that approximately 6,353 sq km of land could be at risk from potential GLOFs.
- Regional Impacts: Another analysis conducted by Caroline Taylor, Rachel Carr, Stuart Dunning (Newcastle University, UK), Tom Robinson (University of Canterbury, New Zealand), and Matthew Westoby (Northumbria University, UK) indicates that GLOFs are not just a localized issue but have broader regional impacts.
- Around 3 million people in India and 2 million in Pakistan are identified as facing the risk of GLOFs, highlighting the potential humanitarian consequences of these events.
What is the situation in Uttarakhand?
- Past GLOF events: Uttarakhand has experienced two major GLOF events in recent years. The first occurred in June 2013, affecting large parts of the state, particularly the Kedarnath valley, resulting in significant loss of life.
- The second event happened in February 2021 in Chamoli district, leading to flash floods due to the bursting of a glacier lake.
- Categorization of Glacial Lakes: Uttarakhand has 13 glacial lakes categorized into three risk levels: ‘A’, ‘B’, and ‘C’.
- Five highly sensitive lakes fall into the ‘A’ category, including Vasudhara Tal in the Dhauliganga basin (Chamoli district), Maban Lake, Pyungru Lake, and two unclassified lakes in Pithoragarh district.
- Size and Elevation of High-Risk Lakes: The lakes in the ‘A’ category have areas ranging from 0.02 to 0.50 sq km and are situated at elevations between 4,351 to 4,868 meters above sea level. These characteristics make them particularly vulnerable to glacial lake outburst events.
- Impact of Rising Temperatures: A 2021 study by the Potsdam Institute for Climate Research (PIK) and The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) suggests that rising surface temperatures could worsen the situation in Uttarakhand.
- The state’s annual average maximum temperature may increase by 1.6-1.9 degrees Celsius between 2021-2050, potentially exacerbating the risk of GLOFs.
Conclusion: Uttarakhand government forms expert teams to assess risk from 5 hazardous glacial lakes prone to GLOFs. With rising temperatures and past disasters, urgent action is needed to mitigate potential catastrophic flooding.
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