A new study shows that glaciers in Bhutan are melting faster than those in western Himalayas. However, there is no immediate danger posed by the lakes. Experts with Glacier Lake Outburst Flood project said glaciers in Bhutan are mostly intact with water mass, which exacerbate with the heat energy.
“All the glaciers in Bhutan have small lakes formed near it so when the glaciers melt it gets in contact with the lake. So the water and the ice have different temperatures and the ice get melted quickly. In the western regions there are no lakes near the glaciers or the icebergs so it takes so much time to melt the huge ice,” reasons Dr. Jiro Komori, physical geographer, with the Japan International Co-operation Agency, JICA.
A glaciologist from the Department of Geology and Mines said as per their survey there is no immediate danger posed by the glaciers in the country. However, he said monitoring works needs to be done as glaciers could accelerate glacial melting and eventually lead to glacial outburst.
“The glaciers melt and when the glaciers retreat glacial lakes are formed. We have to keep an eye on them. We have to do research, carry out the changes time and again and see the rate they are retreating and expending,” Phuntsho Tshering, a Glaciologist. “We have to find out whether they possess any danger or not and start the mitigation works.”
To study glaciers in the country, the Glacier Lake Outburst Flood research and mitigation project was started in May 2009 by experts from the Department of Geology and Mines, JICA and the Japan Science and Technology. The three year long project will end this month.
