Spatial Database Development of Glaciers and Glacial Lakes in the Identification of Potentially Dangerous Glacial Lakes of Nepal Using Remote Sensing and Geographic Information Systems

Spatial and attribute database of the glaciers and glacial lakes of whole Nepal had developed by ICIMOD in collaboration with UNEP/RRC-AP in 2001 using remote sensing and geographic information systems techniques. There are altogether 3,252 glaciers covering an area of 5,322 square kilometer with approximately 481 km of ice reserves. The Mahakali River basin comprises 87 glaciers with an area of 143 square kilometer, and the estimated ice reserve of 10 km. The Karnali River basin consists of 1,361 glaciers with 1,740 square kilometer area and the estimated ice reserve is 128 km. There are all together 1,025 glaciers covering an area of 2,030 square kilometer and ice reserve of 191 km in the Gandaki River basin. Similarly the Koshi River basin comprises 779 glaciers with an area of 1,410 square kilometer and the estimated ice reserve is 152 km. Prior to the present study, there is no inventory of glacial lakes in the country. Lakes at an elevation higher than 3,500 masl are assumed as the glacial lakes in the present study. Some of the lakes are isolated and far behind the ice mass, which may or may not be the glacial origin. The Mahakali River basin, Karnali River basin, Gandaki River basin, and Koshi River basin consist of 16 lakes, 907 lakes, 338 lakes and 1,062 lakes respectively. Among the 2323 glacial lakes of Nepal, 20 glacial lakes are identified as potentially dangerous.