Himalayan glaciers losing ice at double the rate since 2000
Summary
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are melting at double the rate since 2000, threatening nearly two billion people dependent on their meltwater and underlining urgent needs for increased monitoring and climate adaptation.
Key Points
- Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya have lost about 12% of their total area and 9% of ice reserves between 1990 and 2020, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000.
- Smaller glaciers below 0.5 km² are shrinking fastest, increasing risks of water shortages and glacial lake outburst floods for local mountain communities.
- Monitoring gaps exist in major glacier regions like Karakoram, Sikkim, Zanskar, and Bhutan; only 7 out of 38 monitored glaciers meet global standards.
- The reports urge massive scale-up of glacier monitoring, standardisation of methodologies, and investment in climate-resilient adaptation to address accelerating cryosphere changes.
