Himalayan glacial lakes, water bodies expanded by 9% over 14 years, says CWC

New Delhi: Glacial lakes and other water bodies across the Himalayan region have expanded by 9.24 per cent over the past 14 years, according to a new Central Water Commission (CWC) report that highlights the mounting impacts of climate change on fragile mountain ecosystems.

The report notes that the total inventory area of glacial lakes and other water bodies grew from 5.30 lakh hectares in 2011 to 5.79 lakh hectares in 2025. The findings are part of the CWC’s Monthly Monitoring Report, which tracks water bodies in the Himalayan region using satellite data. The August edition, yet to be publicly released, attributes the expansion to shrinking glaciers—among the most visible indicators of global warming.

Of the 2,843 glacial lakes and water bodies monitored through high-resolution Sentinel satellite imagery on Google Earth Engine, 1,435 showed an increase in their water spread area, while 1,008 recorded a reduction. The commission identified 428 glacial lakes within India that have expanded and require “vigorous monitoring for disaster preparedness.”

These lakes are spread across several Himalayan states and union territories, including 133 in Ladakh, 50 in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 in Himachal Pradesh, seven in Uttarakhand, 44 in Sikkim, and 181 in Arunachal Pradesh.

Within India alone, the total area of glacial lakes rose from 1,995 hectares in 2011 to 2,445 hectares in 2025, reflecting a 22.56 per cent increase, the report stated.

The CWC warned that the expansion of these lakes increases the potential for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) — sudden, destructive floods triggered when unstable moraine dams give way. “Direct prediction of such outburst events is not feasible with current knowledge,” the report noted, calling for continuous observation and data sharing.

The monthly reports are disseminated to both central and state disaster management authorities to bolster early warning systems and are made available on the CWC website for public access.

According to the Glacial Lake Atlas of Indian River Basins 2023, a total of 28,043 glacial lakes larger than 0.25 hectares have been mapped across Himalayan river basins, with 7,570 situated within India.