Climate change accelerates glacial melting in the Himalayas, putting communities at risk and urging urgent action
In a recent report published by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), scientists have raised concerns over the accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change.
The report highlights that these glaciers are now disappearing 65 percent faster from 2011 to 2020 compared to the previous decade.
Lead author Philippus Wester expressed his worries about the unexpectedly rapid pace of glacial melting, stating, “As it gets warmer, ice will melt, that was expected, but what is unexpected and very worrying is the speed. This is going much faster than we thought.” The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region heavily relies on these glaciers as a critical water source, providing water to approximately 240 million people residing in the mountainous regions and another 1.65 billion people in the river valleys below.
According to ICIMOD, if greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current levels, the glaciers could lose up to 80 percent of their current volume by the end of the century. This would have severe consequences, as these glaciers feed 10 of the world’s major river systems, including the Ganges, Indus, Yellow, Mekong, and Irrawaddy, thereby directly or indirectly impacting billions of people who rely on these rivers for their livelihoods, food, energy, clean air, and income.
ICIMOD’s deputy chief, Izabella Koziell, stressed the magnitude of the issue, stating, “With two billion people in Asia reliant on the water that glaciers and snow here hold, the consequences of losing this cryosphere (a frozen zone) are too vast to contemplate.” Even if global warming is limited to the targets set by the Paris climate treaty, where temperatures are kept within 1.5 to 2.0 degrees Celsius of pre-industrial levels, the report predicts a loss of one-third to one-half of the glacier’s volume by 2100.
The report underlines the urgent need for climate action to mitigate the impact of glacial melting. Wester emphasized, “Every small increment will have huge impacts, and we really, really need to work on climate mitigation… that is our plea.” Thanks to advancements in technology and high-resolution satellite imagery, scientists are now able to make predictions with a higher degree of accuracy.
The Earth has already experienced an average warming of nearly 1.2 degrees Celsius since the mid-1800s, leading to more frequent and intense extreme weather events such as heatwaves, droughts, and storms. The most vulnerable communities and the world’s poorest countries are disproportionately affected by these climate-related disasters, despite having contributed the least to the greenhouse gas emissions responsible for global warming.
Amina Maharjan, a livelihoods and migration specialist at ICIMOD, expressed concern over the lack of support available to affected communities. She noted that the current approach to adaptation is primarily reactive rather than proactive, which proves inadequate in addressing the challenges posed by climate change. Maharjan stressed the importance of anticipating change and implementing proactive measures to mitigate the impacts of glacial melting in the future.