Four of five high-risk glacial lakes in Arunachal expand over decade, satellite study finds

📌 Summary:

• A satellite-based assessment of five glacial lakes in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district found four have expanded over the last decade, with one growing particularly rapidly
• It adds fresh evidence to concerns over Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the eastern Himalaya
• The five lakes lie in the Mago Chu basin and are classified 'high-risk' or 'very high-risk' by the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA)
• The analysis was a report (not a peer-reviewed study) by Noida-based geospatial firm Suhora Technologies

🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS3 Disaster Management and GS1 Geography — GLOF risk, climate-driven cryosphere change and Himalayan vulnerability.

📝 Prelims Facts:

• GLOF — Glacial Lake Outburst Flood
• Location: Mago Chu basin, Tawang district, Arunachal Pradesh (eastern Himalaya)
• The NDMA, chaired by the Prime Minister, classifies high-risk glacial lakes

🔑 Key Term: GLOF — the sudden release of water from a glacial lake when its natural moraine or ice dam fails, causing destructive downstream flooding.