Global warming increases threat of Himalayas' killer lakes
By Yeshi Dorje
When a "Himalayan tsunami" roars down from the rooftop of the world, water from an overflowing glacial lake obeys gravity. Obliterating everything in its path, a burst is predictable only in its destructiveness.
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That water comes from glacial lake outburst floods, or GLOFs, which are increasing in frequency as climate change increases the rate of glacial melting. This catastrophic lake drainage occurs wherever there are glaciers in places such as Peru and Alaska.
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This year, on July 7, a GLOF early warning system of weather monitoring stations and river discharge sensors saved lives in Pakistan's Golain Valley, which has more than 50 glaciers and nine glacial lakes.
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[A] UNDP program, which helped establish flood protection systems in the area starting in 2011, has installed small-scale drainage systems and mini-dams, and taught people in the remote region survival skills, such as simple first aid, because the arrival of skilled emergency help can be delayed by the rugged topography.
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