Rising temperatures to chop 80% quantity of Himalayan glaciers by 2100: Research

Kathmandu, June 21 – Present ranges of improve in international temperatures can result in about 80 per cent loss within the present quantity of glaciers within the Hindu Kush Himalayan area by the top of the century, in keeping with an alarming examine.

The examine by Kathmandu-based Worldwide Centre for Built-in Mountain Improvement (ICIMOD), attracts on latest scientific advances to map for the primary time the hyperlinks between the cryosphere, water, biodiversity and society within the area, charting the impacts of fast modifications in glaciers and snow on individuals and nature.

The examine revealed that international warming is driving “unprecedented and largely irreversible” modifications to the glaciers, snow and permafrost of the Hindu Kush Himalayan area.

Underneath excessive emissions eventualities snow cowl within the area is projected to fall by as much as 1 / 4 – drastically decreasing freshwater for main rivers such because the Amu Darya, the place it contributes as much as 74 per cent of river circulation, the Indus (40 per cent) and Helmand (77 per cent).

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The extent of frozen floor (permafrost) is lowering, which can result in extra landslides and issues for infrastructure at excessive elevation.

The peer-reviewed examine from the main mountain institute additionally finds that Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers disappeared 65 per cent sooner in 2011-2020 in contrast with the earlier decade.

“The glaciers of the Hindu Kush Himalaya are a serious part of the Earth system. With two billion individuals in Asia reliant on the water that glaciers and snow right here maintain, the results of dropping this cryosphere are too huge to ponder. We’d like leaders to behave now to stop disaster,” stated Izabella Koziell, ICIMOD’s Deputy Director Common, in an announcement.

Ice and snow within the Hindu Kush Himalaya are an vital supply of water for 12 rivers that circulation by means of 16 international locations in Asia, offering freshwater and different very important ecosystem providers to 240 million individuals within the mountains and an additional 1.65 billion downstream.

Susceptible mountain communities are already experiencing main adversarial impacts – together with disasters inflicting loss and harm to lives, property, heritage and infrastructure, driving displacement and leaving psychological impacts.

The examine warns that communities and governments want pressing help and finance to organize for the accelerated impacts on societies and nature that cryosphere modifications will trigger as temperatures rise, with present funding flows to the area woefully inadequate to the dimensions of the challenges the area will face.

“There’s nonetheless time to avoid wasting this essential area, however provided that quick and deep emissions cuts begin now. Each increment of a level of warming issues to glaciers right here and to the a whole bunch of tens of millions of folks that rely upon them,” Koziell stated.