Worldwide glaciers are melting rapidly, leaving massive glacial lakes in their wake. If a lake rises too high or the surrounding land or ice gives way, the lake could burst, sending water and debris rushing down mountains. The roughly 15 million people living within 30 miles of a glacial lake are at risk. More than half are concentrated in just four countries — India, Pakistan, Peru and China. Previous glacial lake outbursts have killed thousands of people, destroyed property, and critical infrastructure. It’s not clear how much of Pakistan’s flooding last year was linked to glacial melt, but the country is home to more glaciers than anywhere outside the polar regions. In 2022, there were at least 16 glacial lake outburst incidents in the northern Gilgit-Baltistan region, significantly more than the five or six events in previous.
www.cnn.com/2023/02/07/world/glacial-lake-outburst-risk-climate-scn/index.html