Himalayan ice in retreat | Melting glaciers
Twelve percent of glacier area was lost between 1990 and 2020, with nine percent of estimated ice reserves depleted
(Graphic by Nilanjan Das; Text by Jumana Shah)
UPDATED: May 1, 2026 19:16 IST
Across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), glacier loss is accelerating sharply. Two recent studies by Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warn that this will have serious consequences for nearly two billion people downstream. The HKH underpins water, food, energy and ecosystem security across the region. Often called the ‘Water Tower of Asia’, it spans eight countries from Afghanistan to Myanmar and holds the world’s largest ice reserves outside the poles—hence the ‘Third Pole’.
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