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Himalayas’ glacier loss threatens 2 billion people in ‘greatest problem of climate change’

Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the…

By Samantha Johnson / March 21, 2026

Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists.

Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for Glaciers. Researchers warn that such a pace of loss poses immediate risks of localised water shortage and intensifying climate-related hazards.
The findings were released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a Kathmandu-based intergovernmental organisation consisting of eight regional members, including India and China.

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“This is the first time we have this field-observed data that is giving us a signal that the mass loss has increased,” said Mohd Farooq Azam, a cryosphere specialist at ICIMOD and one of the report’s authors. “We can now see that there is a trend, which allows us to identify which glaciers to monitor.”

The HKH stretches 3,500km (2,174 miles) across eight countries, from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east. It is home to over 54,000 glaciers that feed 10 of Asia’s largest river systems – Yangtze, Ganges, Mekong and Irrawaddy, among others – sustaining food, water, energy and livelihoods for billions in the region and downstream communities.

Pakistan’s Hopper Glacier is shrinking rapidly due to climate change. Photo: Mohd Farooq Azam/ICIMOD
Pakistan’s Hopper Glacier is shrinking rapidly due to climate change. Photo: Mohd Farooq Azam/ICIMOD

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