Peru Glaciers Shrank by 40% in 4 Decades
Published on by Water Network Research, Official research team of The Water Network in Government
Climate Change Has Shrunk Peruvian Glaciers by 40% in the Past four Decades and the Melt-off Has Spawned Nearly 1 000 New High-altitude Lakes Since 1980
Climate change has shrunk Peruvian glaciers by 40% in the past four decades and the melt-off has spawned nearly 1 000 new high-altitude lakes since 1980, Peru's government said on Wednesday.
Nearly 90% of Peruvian glaciers are smaller than 1-square-kilometer, putting them at greater risk of disappearing in coming years, Peru's water authority said in an update of its glacier inventory from the 1970s.
Peru's 2 679 glaciers, spread over 19 snow-capped mountain ranges, are the source of the vast majority of the country's drinking water.
Climate change is expected to diminish fresh water supplies in fast-growing Peru, though glacial melt-off could boost availability in some watersheds in the short-term.
In 1970, at least 20 000 Peruvians were killed after an earthquake sent a glacier sliding into the highland town of Yungay.
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