Scientists warn that Himalayan glaciers are melting much faster than previously predicted.
When the glaciers melt, two billion people in 12 countries also risk running out of fresh water.
The Himalayan glaciers are melting at an alarmingly fast rate, according to a report by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal.
Between the years 2011–2020, the glaciers melted up to 65 percent faster compared to the previous decade – which worries the report’s lead author, Philippus Wester.
– When the temperatures rise, the ice melts – we expected that. But what surprised us, and which is very worrying, is how fast it is going, he says.
– This is going much faster than we thought.
Water shortage threatens two billion
The Himalayan glaciers form an important source of fresh water in the area. When they melt at an ever faster rate, two billion people in more than 12 countries risk running out of water.
The figure corresponds to over a quarter of the world’s population.
Ten of the world’s most important river systems also receive their inflow from the glaciers – including the Ganges, Indus, Mekong and Irrawaddy. The researchers also warn in the report that the melting could have enormous consequences for the residents of the area.
“With two billion people in Asia dependent on the water that comes from the glaciers and snow, the consequences of the loss of this frozen area are incalculable,” researcher Izabella Koziell from ICIMOD told AFP.
New floods?
In addition to affecting fresh water supplies, the melting threatens to lead to flooding and soil erosion in the area.
The latest findings underline once again the need for urgent action, according to Philippus Wester.
– Every small increase in temperature has enormous effects, and we must try in every way to limit the climate effects. That is our call, he says.
In the Himalayas, after Antarctica and the Arctic, there is the third largest ice mass on earth. Tibet is also often called “Asia’s water tower”.