The alps glaciers face grim outlookーNHK WORLD-JAPAN NEWS
The Merl glass or sea of ice is France’s largest glacier. It attracts tourists from around the world. Up until about 200 years ago, the glacier reached up to the red line in the image. But fast forward 100 years and it had shrunk to the lower red line. Now it has dropped even further, losing an average 5 m of thickness per year. The roughly 270,000 glaciers around the world are under threat from climate change. And this threat extends to the people who live downstream of them. Here’s our report. Southeastern France in the Alps. This is La Berard, a secluded mountain community. It was once home to around 50 people. Now the entire hamlet is buried in rocks and mud and the houses lie in ruins. In June last year, a buildup of melt water from a glacier higher up the valley sent a torrent of water and sediment into La Bar. To see what happened, we visited with an expert who has been studying the disaster. The valley is now covered in a layer of rocks and mud. Before the catastrophe, the ground was green like in the other places and it was all devastated in a few minutes. Above La Barard at an altitude of about 2500 meters is the 3 and 12 kilometer long Bierre Glacier. Here we can see a large circular cavity. At the time the cavity was filled with glacial meltwater forming a huge lake. Torrential rainfall caused the lake to overflow, sending an estimated 300,000 cubic meters of rock and water toward La Barard. Until June 20th last year, the lake water was up to our feet, but the storm caused the water to overflow with the lake emptying in about 6 hours. Larose points out that with global warming, there’s a risk a similar disaster could occur again someday. A major storm or significant snow melt could cause the lake to reform and that’s a risk now. Also, given that hundreds of thousands of cubic meters of rock have collapsed, it’s unlikely the residents will ever be able to live in their homes again. Christian Abet’s ancestors have lived in La Bard since the 18th century. The disaster struck soon after she had finished renovating her home where she planned to spend her retirement years. The beautiful walnut cupboards, sofas, and tables are all gone. The local government says the threat from the glacier remains and has restricted access to the area. Life here meant everything to me. There’s no other way to describe it. We have to change the way we live. Experts have discovered that in some cases large amounts of glacial meltwater accumulates not only on the surface but inside glaciers as well. Olivier Galiardini has a research team. The camera is underwater almost 34 m deep. This video shows another glacier being closely monitored by researchers which is believed to contain 60,000 cubic meters of water. The problems facing glaciers are being felt around the world. Experts predict that glacier induced flooding could affect as many as 15 million people in the future. Last year in Pakistan, a lake formed by melting glaciers overflowed, sending water and mud down the valley. The world’s glaciers are in a very poor state due to the climate imbalance caused by global warming. The problems with glaciers are going to become very serious over the next few decades. It’s estimated that some two billion people worldwide depend on glacier and snow melt water for essential freshwater resources. In the Alps, glacier water is used in raising cattle and for hydroelect electric power generation, which is why the glaciers disappearance is of grave concern. So, if we continue on the path we’re headed, living the way we do, an international research team estimates that just over 20% of the world’s glaciers will remain in the future. However, if we limit the rise in the global average temperature to 1.5 degrees above pre-industrial levels as per the Paris Agreement, there’s still a chance to save roughly half of what’s left. We’re at a critical juncture not just for humanity but for the entire planet.
Last year’s collapse of a glacial lake in the French Alps called attention to the threat posed by climate change. #world #france #europe #disaster #environment #globalwarming
More stories on climate: https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/tags/81/
Please subscribe HERE: http://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSPEjw8F2nQDtmUKPFNF7_A?sub_confirmation=1