뜨거워진 히말라야…빙하호 9년 새 1362개 급증

A devastating surge in melting glaciers has led to a 1362% increase in glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF) in the Himalayas over the past nine years. Scientists warn that by the end of the 21st century, up to 75% of the region's glaciers could vanish due to climate change. In a recent interview with CNN, Professor Dan McGraw from the University of Colorado Colorado Springs stated that there are approximately 95,000 glaciers in the Asian highlands, covering an area comparable to that of South Korea.

He added that all the melted glacial water could fill New York's Manhattan Island up to the height of the Empire State Building, excluding the spire. Dr. Jason Gulli, a glaciologist at the University of South Florida, likened the melting glaciers to a time bomb, suggesting that if carbon dioxide emissions continue unchecked, the world could see a 75% loss of Himalayan glaciers by 2100.

The immediate cause of the recent surge is believed to be a massive collapse of glaciers and ice sheets in the Rangitri Khola region of Nepal's capital, Katmandu. While it's unclear whether this collapse was directly caused by climate change, scientists caution that as the glaciers melt and the permafrost destabilizes, the risk of glacial and rock avalanches and resulting landslides and mudslides will increase.

The international research organization International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) reports that the rate of glacier loss in Central Himalaya, particularly in Nepal, is significantly higher than the global average. Between 1990 and 2020, the total glacial area in the region decreased by 12%, but in Central Himalaya, it dropped by 21%, making it the most rapidly shrinking region.

This rapid loss of glaciers threatens the water supply of the Ganges River, which serves billions of people, and exacerbates the risk of GLOF. In 2017, there were 5498 glacial lakes in the Himalaya-Karakoram region, a 1362% increase from 2008. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) estimate that 47 of the 3624 glaciers in the HKH region are at high risk of collapsing.