Perspectives on abiotic ecosystem services provided by glacial lakes in high-mountain areas

Glacial lakes, which are especially abundant in mountain regions, are fundamental natural features that provide a range of services to society. In the current context of climate change, these lakes are becoming a common feature in the progressively deglaciating high-mountain regions, providing essential direct and indirect services for human well-being and socio-economic development. So far, most of the attention has been paid primarily to hazards and secondly to biotic ecosystem services provided by glacial lakes, among which maintaining populations and habitats. Recently, there has been emerging interest also in abiotic ecosystem services. The present study synthesizes current knowledge on abiotic ecosystem services associated with glacial lakes into an integrated and detailed classification of 16 services, including hydrological buffering, hydropower production, and recreation. It highlights emerging services driven by rapid environmental change: glacial lakes act as sentinels of global change, recording environmental shifts and reflecting the state of the surrounding landscape, making them valuable for monitoring and research. Moreover, the formation of new lakes partially compensates for the loss of glaciers, helping maintain landscape diversity and aesthetic value as glaciers vanish. This study emphasizes the benefits, alongside disservices such as Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) risk, provided by glacial lakes through a comprehensive interdisciplinary framework that links the physical dynamics of glacial lakes with their socio-economic implications. This framework offers a foundation for further quantitative assessment and for the effective integration of abiotic ecosystem services of high-mountain lakes into sustainable development strategies and environmental protection policies.