Trend of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Central Himalayan Region Over the Last 25 years: A Review-Based Approach

The frequency and intensity of different hazards are increasing due to climate change. Two main climatic parameters, named temperature and precipitation, have a deep impact on maintaining the hydro-ecological balance of the Earth. Continuous melting of glaciers in the polar and high mountain areas forms numerous glacial lakes and increases their size. This process, combined with high seasonal precipitation, makes the mountain area one of the GLOF-prone zones. This study focused on a systematic analysis of GLOF-related articles, published from 2000 to 2024, in the Central Himalayan region. A total of 68 articles have been selected for analysing the flood locations, intensities, frequencies, and damages of the study area. The record of GLOF indicates that Eastern Central or Nepal Himalaya experienced the highest number of GLOF events specially Sagarmatha region. The analysis also shows that maximum frequencies of GLOF events occurred in the season of Monsoon (June to September) and Summer (April to June). The study also denotes the importance of remote sensing techniques for demarcating GLOF-affected areas, identifying the pre and post GLOF situations, and marking potential hazardous lakes. The study will provide a clear conceptual framework and development of thinking of researchers about the GLOF-related studies in the Central Himalaya from 2000 to 2024 by analysing the recent trends and methods of previous researchers, and will help to find out the research gap for further analysis.