New Delhi, Oct 23: Glacial lakes and other water bodies in the Himalayan region have expanded by more than 9 per cent over the past 14 years, underscoring the growing impact of climate change, according to a report by the Central Water Commission (CWC).
The total area of glacial lakes and water bodies increased from 5.30 lakh hectares in 2011 to 5.79 lakh hectares in 2025, the CWC’s Monthly Monitoring Report stated. The findings, yet to be made public, are based on satellite data from Sentinel imagery and analysed through Google Earth Engine.
The commission said that out of 2,843 glacial lakes and water bodies under its observation, 1,435 recorded an increase in their water spread area, while 1,008 showed a decline. Of these, 428 expanding glacial lakes are located within India and have been flagged for “vigorous monitoring” to ensure disaster preparedness.
These include 133 in Ladakh, 50 in Jammu and Kashmir, 13 in Himachal Pradesh, seven in Uttarakhand, 44 in Sikkim and 181 in Arunachal Pradesh. Within India, the total water spread area of glacial lakes rose by 22.56 per cent—from 1,995 hectares in 2011 to 2,445 hectares in 2025.
“The shrinking of glaciers and expansion of glacial lakes are among the most visible indicators of global warming in the Himalayas,” the report said.
The CWC warned that the enlarging size of glacial lakes poses an increased risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs)—sudden, destructive floods caused by the collapse of unstable moraine dams. The report added that direct prediction of such events is currently not feasible, making regular monitoring critical.
Monthly reports from the CWC are shared with central and state disaster management authorities to strengthen early warning systems and are published on its website for public access.
According to the Glacial Lake Atlas of Indian River Basins (2023), 28,043 glacial lakes larger than 0.25 hectares have been mapped across the Himalayan river basins, with 7,570 located within India.
