Whilst glaciers in high mountain regions represent a hazard, they can also provide a multitude of glacial resources to communities living downstream as well as further afield.
Glaciers, and the mountainous regions in which they are found not only provide water and minerals in meltwater runoff, but also provide opportunities for the likes of tourism, agriculture, hydroelectric power schemes and mining.
Water resources
Firstly, one of the key glacial resources is water. Glaciated regions are key water resources 1 and are often referred to as ‘Water Towers’ 2. Throughout the year, glacial snow and ice melt from these water towers makes up large proportions of the river flow to many major river systems 2,3.
However, during the 21st century as glaciers continue to recede, glacial runoff is likely to reduce rapidly, putting communities at risk of major water shortages – see this post for more details.
FUN FACT: Across High Mountain Asia ~70% of summer river flow in the Ganges, Indus, Tarim, and Kabul Rivers comes from of glacial meltwater.
Water for Agriculture
Land located along river channels fed by glacial lakes is very fertile 4 due to the mineral rich and pollution free waters. As such, many people living in high mountain regions rely on both arable and pastoral farming as a source of income.
Global glacial recession could threaten this, for instance diminishing spring flows in the upper reaches of the Querococha watershed in the Cordillera Blanca in Peru, have negatively affected pasture health and grass productivity 5, while reduction in dry season water availability for livestock has also affected livestock productivity 6.
Tourism
Over the past few decades, tourism has increased across high mountain regions 7,8 and is now the primary source of income in many regions providing direct and indirect employment 9. For example, in 2018, mountain-specific tourism in Nepal accounted for 8% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and supported >1.05 million jobs 10.
Seasonal tourism in glacial regions is diverse, attracting a wide range of people from across the world, and includes activities such as trekking, mountaineering, skiing and more.
In 2014 more than 100,000 tourists visited the mountain regions of Nepal 11, whilst the Huascaran National Park in Peru annually receives over 180,000 visitors and in Norway glacial related tourism attracts up to 30,000 visitors per year 9. Obviously we cannot get enough of these beautiful landscapes!
Hydroelectric Power (HEP)
Due to their naturally steep slopes mountainous regions are suitable for harnessing hydroelectric power, thus many mountainous regions now heavily dependent on hydroelectric power as a reliable energy source 1. In fact, HEP now supplies about 16% of the world’s electricity, with as much as 100% in Bhutan and Norway, 93% in Nepal, 59% in Canada 12 making it another of the key glacial resources.
Generally, climate change is expected to increase the frequency and magnitude of glacial hazards which is likely to increase the risk of flash floods and debris flows capable of damaging hydropower plants.
The Dig Tsho GLOF in Nepal in 1985 destroyed a hydropower plant worth USD 1.3 million, while a glacial fall near the Chorabari glacier, India, in June 2013 caused an outburst that damaged hydropower projects in Uttarakhand 13.
As more glacial lakes form and new HEP sites are constructed (see Figure 3 as an illustration of HEP development across the Himalayas) it will be increasingly important to account for potential GLOFs.
For example, should it continue to expand, a GLOF from Tsho Rolpa, Nepal, could cause major damage to the Khimti Hydropower project – a 60 MW complex located 80 km below the glacial lake. Due to reliance on the plant for energy security, employment and more, damage or destruction from an outburst has been estimated to cost the nation US$22 million 14.
Mining glacial resources
Finally, glaciated regions provide a valuable source of rock and minerals and so many quarries are located in these areas. For example, a multitude of mineral can be found across the Tien Shan such as petroleum, natural gas, coal and other metals (mercury, lead, zinc, nickel). As a result, there are many active quarries located across the region, including the Kumtor open-cast gold mine site in Kyrgyzstan, pictured below in Figure 4.
