A recent flash flood in Nepal’s Rasuwa district has brought Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) across the Himalayas back into focus. GLOFs are sudden releases of water from glacier-fed lakes, often impounded by moraines – accumulations of debris deposited by glaciers.
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), moraine-dammed glacial lakes are common in the region. As glaciers retreat and climate change accelerates, these lakes are forming and expanding, increasing the potential volume of floods. Events like these pose a persistent threat to downstream communities and critical infrastructure.
Past GLOF events in the Himalayas include the 2021 Rishi Ganga flood in Uttarakhand, India, and the 2023 South Lhonak lake outburst in the Teesta river basin, both of which caused significant destruction and loss of life.
Source: Down To Earth