Snowfall in Asia’s Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range has reached a 23-year low, threatening nearly two billion people dependent on snowmelt for water, scientists warned in a report.
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan range, which stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, holds the largest reserves of ice and snow outside the Arctic and Antarctica and is a vital source of fresh water for about two billion people.
Researchers found “a significant decline in seasonal snow across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, with snow persistence (the time snow remains on the ground) 23.6% below normal – the lowest in 23 years,” the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (Icimod) said.
“This trend, now in its third consecutive year, threatens water security for nearly two billion people,” it said Monday in its Snow Update Report.
The study also warned of “potential lower river flows, increased groundwater reliance, and heightened drought risk”.
Sher Muhammad, the lead author of the Icimod report, said that “this year the snowfall started late in January and remained low in the winter season on average”.
Several countries in the region have already issued drought warnings, with upcoming harvests and access to water at risk for populations already facing longer, hotter, and more frequent heatwaves.
The inter-governmental Icimod organisation is made up of member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. — AFP
