Glacial Lake Observatory (GLO): annual  dataset of glacial lakes in Nepal and  transboundary catchments (2017–2024)

Rawlins, Lauren D.; Watson, C. Scott; Bhambri, Rakesh; Khadka, Nitesh; Chand, Mohan B.

doi:10.5194/essd-18-5143-2026

Articles | Volume 18, issue 7

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5143-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5143-2026

© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 18, issue 7

Data description article

|

21 Jul 2026

Data description article |

| 21 Jul 2026

Glacial Lake Observatory (GLO): annual dataset of glacial lakes in Nepal and transboundary catchments (2017–2024)

Lauren D. Rawlins, C. Scott Watson, Rakesh Bhambri, Nitesh Khadka, and Mohan B. Chand

Supplement

https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-18-5143-2026-supplement

Data sets

Datasets supporting - Glacial Lake Observatory (GLO): A dataset of glacial lakes in Nepal and transboundary catchments (2017–2024) Lauren D. Rawlins et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17802333

Model code and software

Datasets supporting - Glacial Lake Observatory (GLO): A dataset of glacial lakes in Nepal and transboundary catchments (2017–2024) Lauren D. Rawlins et al. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.17802333

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Short summary

Glacial lakes are expanding as glaciers melt in High Mountain Asia. These lakes store meltwater but can trigger dangerous outburst floods (GLOFs), threatening downstream communities. Using satellite imagery and deep learning, we mapped lakes across the Nepal-transboundary region (2017–2024) and found rapid growth, especially in the Koshi basin. This research supports the Glacial Lake Observatory, which will enable long-term monitoring and hazard reduction.