Glacial lakes a new Himalayan threat
source: http://www.hindustantimes.com/Glacial-lakes-a-new-Himalayan-threat/Article1-723119.aspx
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- JanforGore
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http://www.hindustantimes.com/Glacial-lakes-a-new-Himalayan-threat/Ar...
For millions living in Himalayan mountains the faster melting glaciers are posing a new danger - glacial lakes that may burst. From just a few thousand lakes in mid 1900s, the number has grown over 20,000 lakes in the Himalayan belt from Pakistan in the west to Burma in the East, says a new United Nations Development Fund documentary highlighting the danger of climate change to 1.3 billion people living in downstream valley."Some of these lakes pose danger to habitations as there is a risk of overflowing," said Andrew Schild, director of Nepal based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). About 15% of the lakes are said to be in the possible danger zone.
In 2005, Pareechu lake in China had burst in 2005 causing flash in the riverbed of Satluj in Himachal. At least 32 events of glacial lake overflows have been recorded in the Himalayan region causing huge lose to property and human life.
ICIMOD, a transnational body to monitor glaciers, says that lake Imja Toso in the Mount Everest region was non-existent in 1960s but now is one sq km in area and many lakes in eastern Himalayan region have increased by eight times over the past 40 years.
It is just tip of the iceberg as flow of water into glacial lakes is expected to increase further with half of the 32,000 glaciers expected to melt by end of this century. About 75% of glaciers in Indian part of Himalayan region are retreating at a faster than ever before, a recent Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) analysis said.
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- Environment, Climate Change, Glaciers, Himalayas, 1 more
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coolplanet
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It's depressing that people aren't more concerned about stories like this.
Is it burn out on too much bad news getting worse every day?
Perhaps we need more sensationalistic headlines like
BILLIONS KILLED BY DROUGHT, FLOODS AND FAMINE
or
OUR PLANET GANGBANGED BY SICK MOTHERFUCKERS - 1 year ago
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coolplanet
