Erosional and Depositional Landforms — Current Affairs 2026
Current Affairs Connections
Accelerated Glacial Retreat in Himalayas Threatens Water Security and Forms New Lakes
Ongoing, with increased reports in 2024-2025Recent studies and satellite imagery continue to highlight the alarming rate of glacial retreat across the Himalayan range, directly impacting glacial erosional and depositional landforms. As glaciers melt, they leave behind newly formed proglacial lakes (often in cirques or moraine-dammed valleys) and expose fresh U-shaped valleys. The rapid expansion of these lakes, particularly moraine-dammed lakes, increases the risk of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), a significant natural disaster. This phenomenon directly relates to the formation and modification of glacial landforms, with implications for water resources for downstream populations, hydropower generation, and regional climate patterns. The changing landscape is a direct consequence of global warming, making it a critical current affairs topic for UPSC, linking geomorphology to climate change and disaster management.
UPSC Angle: Impact of climate change on glacial landforms and associated hazards (GLOFs). Role of glacial retreat in water resource management for India. Link between geomorphology and disaster preparedness in mountainous regions.
Coastal Erosion Intensifies Along Indian Coastline, Threatening Infrastructure and Livelihoods
Ongoing, with specific reports in 2024-2026 on vulnerable stretchesReports from various Indian states, including Kerala, Odisha, and West Bengal, consistently indicate an intensification of coastal erosion. This process, driven by rising sea levels, increased frequency and intensity of cyclones, and anthropogenic activities (e.g., sand mining, port development), is rapidly altering coastal erosional landforms like sea cliffs and wave-cut platforms, and eroding depositional landforms such as beaches, spits, and barrier islands. The loss of land, displacement of communities, damage to infrastructure, and degradation of coastal ecosystems (like mangroves that protect deltas) are pressing concerns. The Sundarbans Delta, a prime example of a depositional landform, is particularly vulnerable. This highlights the dynamic nature of coastal geomorphology and its direct link to climate change adaptation and sustainable coastal zone management, a crucial area for UPSC Mains.
UPSC Angle: Causes and consequences of coastal erosion in India. Strategies for coastal zone management and protection. Interplay of natural processes and human activities in shaping coastal landforms. Vulnerability of major deltas to sea-level rise.