Amid reports of glacial lakes in Nepal being threatened due to the impact of climate change, a top mountaineering official on Tuesday said the country needs to conduct post-disaster assessment of glacial lakes and mountain rivers in the Himalayan region.
“There is a need to make fresh assessment of glaciers, mountains and mountain rivers after the April 25 disaster,” Ang Tshering Sherpa, president of Nepal Mountaineering Association said.
“It is necessary to evaluate water level of glacial lakes, ice level and gather information about the mountain region by using latest technology,” he told PTI.
“Climate Alliance, a non-governmental organisation involved in watching the effects of climate change in the mountain region is also making its assessment and there is a need to coordinate among different organisations related to the mountain to make the assessment of the post disaster effective,” he said.
There are reports that some of the glacial lakes are threatened due to the impacts of climate change and global warming.
According to a report published by Gorkhapatra daily, a state-run newspaper, 21 glacial lakes are at high risk in the Nepal Himalayas.
There are more than 2,300 glacial lakes in Nepal Himalayas. Tsho Rolpa, Imja and Yojumba and Thulagilake glacial lakes are the most vulnerable ones, according to Mr. Sherpa.
Avalanche triggered by the April 25 earthquake in the Langtang Himalayan region has claimed lives of some 500 people two months ago, Mr. Sherpa said.
The avalanche was caused by bursting of a small glacial lake in the region.
“The Himalayan region is facing unstable climatic condition after the earthquake and there is a need to conduct studies of glacial lakes and the water level in the mountain rivers, so as to avert any future disaster in the region,” he said.
The 7.9-magnitude quake which struck Nepal on April 25 and another having a magnitude of 7.3 on May 12 had left nearly 9,000 people dead and over 21,000 injured.
