Flooding, which may occur due to a breakthrough of glacial lakes, threatens the residents of India, Pakistan, Peru and China.
Residents of several countries may be inundated due to flooding caused by melting glaciers. As stated in the journal Nature Communications, more than 15 million people are at risk. Half of them are residents of India, Pakistan, Peru and China.
The increased risk is connected with the fact that these countries are located within 50 km from glacial lakes formed as a result of melting of ice blocks.
When the body of a glacier begins to melt, it is filled with meltwater, causing a glacial lake to form. If the water level in such a lake rises above the maximum mark, or it breaks through the soil or ice, the meltwater, along with the earth, rocks and vegetation, will gush down, demolishing everything in its path, warns the publication.