The glaciers in the Himalayas provide water for nearly two billion people Image: AFP
The glaciers in the Himalayas, which provide water for almost two billion people, are melting faster than ever before because of climate change, according to scientists.
The glaciers in the Himalayas, which provide water for almost two billion people, are melting faster than ever before because of climate change, according to scientists. Glaciers melted 65 percent faster than in the previous decade between 2011 and 2020, according to a report by the International Center for Integrated Development of Mountain Regions (ICIMOD) released on Tuesday.
“As it gets warmer, ice will melt, which was expected, but what was not expected and is very worrying is the speed,” the report’s lead author, Philippus Wester, told AFP. “It’s a lot quicker than we thought.”
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region are an important source of water for around 240 million people in the mountain regions and another 1.65 billion people in the adjacent river valleys, according to the report.
Based on current emission curves, glaciers could lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by the end of the century, said Nepal-based center ICIMOD. The intergovernmental organization also includes Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar and Pakistan.
The glaciers feed ten of the world‘s major river systems, including the Ganges, Indus, Yellow River, Mekong and Irrawaddy. Directly or indirectly, they provide billions of people with food, energy, clean air and income.
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