Glacial Melt Crisis Rising Risks of Lake Outburst Floods
The Great Aletsch Glacier in Switzerland’s Canton of Valais is among the fastest-melting World Heritage sites, highlighting a growing crisis in mountain regions worldwide. As global temperatures rise glaciers are retreating at alarming rates Europe Alps and Pyrenees alone have lost 40% of their glacier volume since 2000. Nearly 2 billion people rely on glaciers for freshwater, but their rapid melting now poses deadly threats.
As glaciers melt water collects in depressions once occupied by ice, forming unstable lakes. Many are held back by fragile ice dams or rock moraines. A sudden water surge, landslide or earthquake can trigger a catastrophic outburst flood, sending torrents of water and debris crashing down mountain valleys.
In October 2023 glacial lake outburst flood in the Himal...