The alarming status of the Yala Glacier in Nepal and its inclusion in the Global Glacier Casualty List underscores the severe impacts of climate change on the Himalayas. As one of the most studied glaciers in the region, its expected disappearance by the 2040s is a stark indicator of accelerating glacier retreat worldwide.
Yala Glacier: A Case Study of Rapid Retreat
- Location: Situated in Nepal’s Langtang Valley, the Yala Glacier has been closely monitored since 1974.
- Extent of Retreat: Between 1974 and 2021, the glacier retreated by 680 meters, reflecting significant ice loss.
- Global Recognition: It is the only glacier in the Himalayas included in the Global Glacier Casualty List, a comprehensive project launched in 2024 by a collaboration of global institutions, including Rice University, University of Iceland, WMO, UNESCO, and others.
- Status: Classified as critically endangered, it represents the urgent need for global action to slow the rate of glacial loss.
The Global Glacier Casualty List
This initiative aims to document and raise awareness of glaciers at risk or those that have already disappeared. As of now, 15 glaciers have been listed, including:
- Pico Humboldt Glacier (Venezuela): Vanished in 2024.
- Sarenne Glacier (France): Vanished in 2023.
- Dagu Glacier (China): Another glacier in Asia categorized as critically endangered, expected to disappear by 2030.
Glacial Decline in China
- Over the past decades, Chinese glaciers have shrunk by 12,442.4 sq km, losing 20.6% of their total area—a loss larger than the size of Jamaica.
- The retreat of these glaciers threatens water resources, ecosystems, and livelihoods, particularly in Asia, where many major rivers originate from glacier-fed systems.
(Source: The Times of India)
