Birch Glacier in the Swiss Alps

Why in News ? The collapse of the Birch Glacier in the Swiss Alps led to landslides and flooding, engulfing the village of Blatten in mud and debris.

• This incident highlights the effects of global warming on glaciers and the cascading impacts on water resources, infrastructure, and communities worldwide.

Relevance : Pre & Mains

Prelims: Famous Affected   Glaciers

Mains :  GS 3 ( Env & Ecology)

  Impacts:

Water Resource Dependence:

• Freshwater Storage: Glaciers store approximately 70% of the Earth’s freshwater, making them essential reservoirs.
• Gradual Meltwater Release: They function as “water towers,” releasing meltwater gradually during summer to sustain agriculture and communities.
• Global Reliance: Two billion people rely on glacial meltwater for their daily water needs, underscoring the critical role of glaciers.

Accelerated Glacier Melting

• Twice the Rate of Melting: Glaciers worldwide are melting at double the rate observed two decades ago.
• Massive Ice Loss: Between 2000 and 2023, glaciers lost an ice mass equivalent to 46,000 Great Pyramids of Giza.

Flooding Hazards

• Glacial Lake Bursts: Melting glaciers in the Andes, Himalayas, and Karakoram regions have formed unstable glacial lakes.
• Disaster Events:

• • In Peru, the town of Huaraz faces flood risks from rapidly filling mountain lakes.
  • In Pakistan, a glacial lake burst in 2023, washing away homes, bridges, and fertile land.
  • In India, a glacial lake overflow in October 2023 killed 179 people.

Economic and Social Impacts

• Water for Agriculture: Reduced glacier runoff has forced farmers to shift to drought-resilient crops, such as bitter potatoes in the Andes.
• Energy Production: Hydroelectric dams, which depend on glacial meltwater, face reduced output, as seen in Chile’s Alto Maipo plant shutdown in 2021.
• Ski Tourism Decline: Shrinking snow cover has reduced the viability of ski resorts in the European Alps, with natural snow expected to decline by 42% by 2100.

Rising Sea Levels

• Thawing Antarctic Ice: Major glaciers like Thwaites in Antarctica are retreating rapidly, contributing significantly to sea level rise.
• Coastal Risk: Sea levels have risen by almost 2 cm in the past 25 years, threatening low-lying islands such as Fiji and megacities like Mumbai and Jakarta.
• Temporary Measures: Protective dikes are being built in areas like the Maldives, but they are only short-term solutions.

Cultural and Infrastructure Impacts:

• Endangered Traditions: Sacred glaciers in Peru, such as Colquepunco, are vanishing, threatening ancient rituals like the Qoyllur Rit’i festival.
• Infrastructure Damage: Melting glaciers cause flash floods that destroy homes, roads, and community facilities, as witnessed in Pakistan’s Hassanabad village.

Mitigation and Adaptation Strategies

• Early Warning Systems: Monitoring systems in regions like Pakistan’s Karakoram mountains provide advanced alerts to communities about glacial risks.
• Artificial Glaciers: Ladakh has implemented innovative techniques to create artificial glaciers, ensuring water availability in summer.
• Global Action Required: Addressing rising temperatures and implementing sustainable practices are critical to slowing glacier retreat and its cascading effects.