1/3
June 20 (UPI) — A new peer-reviewed study on the Himalayas reveals the mountain glaciers disappeared 65% faster between 2011 and 2020 compared to the previous decade, which poses a significant threat to the region’s population and species.
The report by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, presented at the Bonn Climate Change Conference, warns that the glaciers could lose 80% of their current volume by the end of the century. Link to the report.
“The report emphasizes the urgent need for policymakers to prepare for the cascading impacts of climate change in the critical mountain biome, which will affect a quarter of the world’s population,” stated ICIMOD.
“Urgent international support and regional cooperation are now vital to address the inevitable, near-term loss and damage, and to assist communities in their adaptation efforts.”
ICIMOD, an intergovernmental knowledge and learning center representing the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, describes this study as the most accurate assessment of changes in Asia’s high mountain cryosphere to date, highlighting its profound impact on the region’s ecosystem.
The study warns that as the glaciers deteriorate, there will be a projected 25% decline in snow cover, leading to reduced freshwater flow into major rivers such as the Hemland, Amu Darya, and the Indus. Additionally, there will be a decrease in frozen ground, increasing the risk of landslides and other infrastructural issues at higher elevations.
“The glaciers of the Hindu Kush Himalaya are a crucial component of the Earth system,” says Izabella Koziell, ICIMOD’s deputy director-general. “With 2 billion people in Asia depending on the water supplied by these glaciers and snow, the consequences of losing this cryosphere are too immense to comprehend. We need leaders to take immediate action to prevent catastrophe.”
Koziell further emphasizes that there is still time for government leaders to safeguard the region, but it requires immediate and significant action to mitigate emissions and make a difference.
“Every degree of warming matters to the glaciers here and to the millions of people who rely on them,” Koziell adds. “Alongside urgent mitigation actions, we must rapidly scale up adaptation funds, programs, and ecosystem restoration efforts, while also mobilizing finance to tackle losses and damages.”
Concerns over climate change’s impact on the Kush Himalayan region date back to 2009 when a United Nations-led study highlighted how droughts and catastrophic floods were devastating crops, depleting water supplies, and causing the death of livestock in the area.
Denial of responsibility! VigourTimes is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
