Climate change is accelerating the loss of glaciers and increasing the risk of devastating events like the Himalaya floods, said one author of a major UN scientific assessment published on Wednesday. More than 1,100 bodies have been recovered since a glacial collapse sent a gigantic wave of freezing water, rocks and debris roaring down the China-Nepal border on August 26. In a new report, the UN Environment Programme said the goal of holding global warming to below 1.5℃ is certain to be breached, and would have severe consequences even if global temperatures are reversed in the future.
Report co-author Carl-Friedrich Schleussner, a climate scientist from the IIASA research institute in Austria, addressed key questions regarding these mounting threats. Asked if an event similar to the devastating floods in the Himalayas could happen again, he warned that climate change is driving the loss of glaciers globally, with more than 40% of all global glacier mass loss since the 1970s occurring in the last decade alone.
Explaining the triggering factors, Schleussner noted that melting ice leads to the formation and rapid expansion of adjacent glacial lakes at high altitudes. Destabilisation of the glaciers or surrounding mountain areas, combined with permafrost melt, can cause large chunks of debris or ice to fall into these lakes, triggering devastating flood waves.
Addressing preparedness, the climate scientist emphasized that the world is currently not prepared for the compounding extreme weather events and imminent temperature thresholds. He urged nations to ramp up climate adaptation measures and slash greenhouse gas emissions immediately to slow down global warming and buy precious time.