Mondal et al. (2025) Impact assessment of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalaya using satellite imageries over the last 25 years (2000–2024): A comprehensive review

Identification

• Journal: Remote Sensing Applications Society and Environment
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-12-22
• Authors: Arun Mondal, Anupam Pandey, Souvik Mondal, Sananda Kundu
• DOI: 10.1016/j.rsase.2025.101845

Research Groups

• Department of Geography, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, India
• Department of Geography, Manipur University, Imphal, India

Short Summary

This systematic review analyzes 119 articles published between 2000 and 2024 to assess the impact of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalaya, revealing their increasing frequency and destruction, particularly in the Indian Himalaya, and the growing reliance on remote sensing for GLOF studies.

Objective

• To systematically review articles published from 2000 to 2024 to analyze the locations, frequencies, intensities, and damages of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalaya.
• To provide comprehensive information on GLOFs in the Himalayan region from 2000 to 2024, identifying recent research trends, methods, and existing research gaps.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Himalayan region, with frequent GLOF occurrences noted in the Sagarmatha region (Nepal), Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh (India), and Bhutan.
• Temporal Scale: 25 years (2000–2024) for the systematic review of literature. GLOF occurrences are noted to be frequent in summer (April to June) and monsoon (June to September) seasons.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Not applicable; this study is a systematic literature review.
• Data sources: Systematic review of 119 selected articles published from 2000 to 2024. The reviewed articles themselves utilized remote sensing data (satellite imageries) for GLOF studies.

Main Results

• The majority of the reviewed articles focused on GLOFs occurring in the Indian Himalaya.
• GLOFs are frequently recorded in the Sagarmatha region (Nepal), Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh (India), and Bhutan.
• Studies indicate an increasing frequency and destructive impact of GLOFs after the year 2000.
• GLOFs occur frequently during the summer (April to June) and monsoon (June to September) seasons.
• The use of remote sensing data in GLOF studies has gradually increased since 2000, primarily for demarcating flood-affected areas and calculating potential damage.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive and systematic synthesis of GLOF occurrences and research trends in the Himalayan region over a 25-year period.
• Consolidates information on GLOF locations, frequencies, intensities, and damages, offering a valuable overview for researchers and policymakers.
• Highlights the evolving methodologies in GLOF studies, particularly the increased adoption of remote sensing, and identifies critical research gaps for future investigations.

Funding

• Not specified in the article.

Citation

@article{Mondal2025Impact,
  author = {Mondal, Arun and Pandey, Anupam and Mondal, Souvik and Kundu, Sananda},
  title = {Impact assessment of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) in the Himalaya using satellite imageries over the last 25 years (2000–2024): A comprehensive review},
  journal = {Remote Sensing Applications Society and Environment},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.rsase.2025.101845},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rsase.2025.101845}
}