We Told You So

Even in the early 2000s, we were writing about the risks of global heating in the Himalaya, particularly the glacial melting, and the need to adapt to the water crisis.

Twenty years later, things are getting much worse much faster. Two-thirds of glaciers are on track to disappear by 2100, melting into precarious glacial lakes that cause downstream devastation when they burst. 

Excerpts of the report published in 2004 in issue #204 9-15 July 2004:

Global climate change is melting Himalayan glaciers at an unprecedented rate, yet field research into this potentially catastrophic trend is lagging.

There are 3,250 glaciers in the Nepal Himalaya and 2,315 of them contain glacial lakes that are increasing in size at varying rates. But no one really knows how many of them are in danger of bursting, and without that information, steps can't be taken to drain the lakes or install early-warning systems for villages downstream.

British geologist John Reynolds was involved in the project to siphon water off the Tso Rolpa glacial lake in the Rolwaling valley a decade ago, but says the inventory of hazardous glacial lakes is outdated. "There has to be a fresh look at the entire issue because we may be running a high magnitude risk," Reynolds says.

As glaciers shrink, the melting ice causes lakes to grow. The lakes can then breach the loose moraine walls, sending huge floods of water, mud and boulders downstream. Scientists call this GLOF (Glacial Lake Outburst Flood) and these have been occurring with increasing regularity in recent years.

A glacial lake burst in Khumbu in 1985 killed at least 20 people, washed away a hydropower station, the trekking trail to Namche and numerous bridges. The town of Pokhara is situated on the debris field of a gigantic 700-year-old flood from below Annapurna. The worst-case scenario is a major Himalayan earthquake causing several dozen glacial lakes to burst simultaneously.

For archived material of Nepali Times of the past 20 years, site search: nepalitimes.com