Kathmandu, March 21; Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are melting rapidly due to rising global temperatures caused by climate change. A recent study shows that the rate of ice melt in this region has doubled since 2000.
According to a recent report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, glacier thickness has decreased by up to 27 meters since 1975. This signals danger for nearly two billion people living in downstream areas who depend on water flowing from what is often called Asia’s “water tower.”
The reports provide the most comprehensive evidence to date of glacier changes in the region. Titled “Glacier Dynamics in the Hindu Kush Himalaya from 1990 to 2020” and “Hindu Kush Himalaya Glacier Outlook 2026: Insights from 50 Years of Cryosphere Monitoring,” they were released by ICIMOD on Saturday on the occasion of World Glacier Day.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya contains the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions, with more than 63,700 glaciers covering approximately 55,782 square kilometers. These glaciers are the source of at least 10 major river systems in Asia and play a crucial role in ensuring food, water, energy, and livelihood security for billions of people.
The report notes that about 78 percent of glacier areas located at elevations between 4,500 and 6,000 meters above sea level are at high risk due to “elevation-dependent warming.”
“This is not a distant problem—it is a real crisis unfolding every summer and monsoon in the form of new disasters,” said Pema Gyamtsho. “The doubling of melt rates this century should shock us into action. The Hindu Kush Himalaya is at a crossroads. From water uncertainty to catastrophic floods, the rapidly intensifying impacts make it clear that we are in a decisive decade for the cryosphere. We must expand monitoring and invest in adaptation now. These are no longer unexpected events from ‘blind spots’—this is our new reality.”
12 percent glacier area loss
A detailed analysis shows that between 1990 and 2020, glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya lost about 12 percent of their total area and around 9 percent of their estimated ice reserves. According to Sudan Bikash Maharjan, a remote sensing analyst at ICIMOD, the most immediate threat comes from smaller glaciers.
“Although glaciers lost about 12 percent of their total area between 1990 and 2020, the loss is most severe among glaciers smaller than 0.5 square kilometers,” Maharjan said. “This poses an immediate risk of local water shortages for high mountain communities and increases hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods. Since three-quarters of glaciers in this region fall into this vulnerable size category, the risk is even greater.”
The HKH Glacier Outlook report compiles data from 38 monitored glaciers, showing widespread ice loss since 2000. It indicates that some parts of the Himalayan cryosphere may be nearing a “tipping point” of irreversible damage. However, the report highlights a major data gap: only seven of these 38 glaciers meet global benchmark standards set by the World Glacier Monitoring Service. Key glacier regions such as Karakoram, Sikkim, Zanskar, and Bhutan remain under-monitored.
“We are trying to navigate a rapidly changing future with an incomplete map,” said Mohammad Farooq Azam, one of the report’s authors. “Large parts of the Himalaya are still beyond the reach of monitoring systems. Without expanding monitoring networks and standardizing methods, it is difficult to detect rapid changes in river flow and the cryosphere. Continuous observation of representative glaciers such as Mera and Rikha Samba in Nepal, and Chhota Shigri in India, is essential—they serve as early warning indicators for the entire mountain system.”
Greatest losses in Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins
The report shows that glacier loss varies geographically. The eastern Hengduan Shan range has experienced the highest percentage loss, with some areas losing up to 33 percent of glacier area in just three decades. However, the largest overall losses are concentrated in the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra basins, which together contain more than 74 percent of the region’s glaciers.
Glaciers larger than 10 square kilometers hold about 40 percent of the region’s natural water reserves. The Karakoram range, home to 18 of the 25 largest glaciers, is at high risk in terms of long-term water, food security, and disaster vulnerability—impacts that will affect the entire region.
In the context of 2025 being declared the International Year of Glacier Preservation and 2025–2034 as the Decade of Action for Cryospheric Sciences, these findings highlight the urgent need for action. The report’s authors call for expanding glacier monitoring, strengthening methodologies, and making significant investments in climate-resilient adaptation to reduce the impacts of rapidly changing cryospheric conditions.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya region stretches over 3,500 kilometers across Asia, covering Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. This diverse region—ranging from high mountain ranges to mid-hills and plains—is critical for the food, water, and energy security of nearly two billion people. It is also home to countless unique species. However, it is highly vulnerable to the “triple planetary crisis” of climate change, pollution, and biodiversity loss.
People’s News Monitoring Service.
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