Himalayan glacier lakes spark flood fears

On the eve of World Water Day, the Himalayas’ melting glaciers are swelling massive lakes, primed to burst and unleash chaos downstream. Satellite scans show these high-altitude pools growing fast as ice thaws—experts warn one wrong crack could flood villages, farms, and dams across India, Nepal, and beyond, where rivers like the Ganges and Indus feed millions.

The ripple’s brutal—rushing waters could sweep away homes, choke hydropower, and slash freshwater for nearly 2 billion relying on these ranges dubbed the Third Pole. A Kathmandu shopkeeper might stack sandbags, eyeing the peaks, knowing a sudden deluge could rewrite his life. Studies peg the glacial retreat at double speed since 2000, with hundreds of lakes now tagged as ticking threats.

Experts aren’t sleeping on this—they’re pushing early warning rigs and tougher climate curbs to slow the melt. “Cut emissions, track lakes, brace communities,” one glaciologist urges, stressing teamwork across borders to tame the flood risk. From siphoning water to shoring up moraines, the fix isn’t cheap or quick, but the stakes tower higher than Everest itself.