With the carbon emissions on the rise and global warming damaging the world’s fragile environments, glaciers throughout the world are suffering the most. The glacial lakes of South Asia are melting down fast and people fear that in no time they will turn to the liquid state. Japanese alpine climber Ken Noguchi grabs our attention to the melting Himalayan glaciers.
In South Asia, frozen alpine lakes are soon going to break and transform to water. This is going to cause some massive floods in areas surrounding the lakes. This is what the scientists told Ken. The Nepalis folks have been asking for help to save the Himalayan eco systems. They fear that the massive flood caused due to melting glaciers will wipe their villages off the face of earth.
Back in 1960’s, the Imja glacial lake was just a small puddle. But, over the years the lake expanded as things started to warm up.Now, the lake has expanded to a half mile radius and holds about 2.9 million tonnes of water! This is a clear evidence of global warming damaging the earth. This kind of glacial meltdown and retreat is witnessed all around the Himalayas. The Himalayas are becoming more dangerous with more frequent landslides occurring in the region.
I think it’s time to get together and do something to save the Himalayas. In June, glaciologists at Kathmandu (capital city of Nepal) talked about the current pattern of the Himalayan glaciers. According to them, these glaciers could disappear within next 50 years or so if nothing is done to save them.The climber Ken Noguchi wants to hear more concrete decisions regarding this issue and speaks for the people of the region.He wants some immediate steps taken.
Image Credit: Icimod