Melting glaciers due to heat puts G-B at risk
The Meteorological Department has issued a warning about possible flooding in rivers and streams owing to thawing glaciers as temperatures soar and much of the country bakes in intense heat.
The warning emphasized the risk of unexpected flash floods and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOF) in Gilgit-Baltistan and the neighboring low-lying areas.
To avert the impending flood, all relevant authorities have been asked to prepare for the effects and take preventive action.
The news comes as Gilgit-Baltistan’s citizens have already been “put on notice” about this week’s potential for GLOF events and flash floods.
Pakistan has one of the greatest numbers of glaciers on Earth—more than 7,000—of any nation.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) reports that by 2018, over 3,000 lakes had formed in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan as a result of glaciers melting. Over 7 million people who live downstream are seriously at risk of flooding due to thirty-three of these lakes.
A third of the country was submerged and 1,700 people lost their lives as a result of the nation’s unheard-of floods and unanticipated monsoon rains in 2022.
Over 33 million people were impacted by the floods, according to Pakistani estimates, mostly in the regions of Sindh and Balochistan.
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