- According to Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment, 36% of the glaciers along in the Hindu Kush and Himalaya range (HKH) could melt by 2100 even if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.
- The Hindu Kush and Himalayan Range extends from Afghanistan to Myanmar (Fig. 1) and is famously known as the earth’s “third pole” as it forms the largest area of permanent ice cover outside of the North and South Poles
- It is an important Geo-ecological asset that provides ecosystem services such as water, food, and energy that directly or indirectly sustain the livelihoods billions of people.
- Melting of glaciers of HKH region would a) worsen air pollution conditions, b) give rise to more extreme weather events, c) lower pre-monsoon river flows, and d) put a strain on urban water systems and food and energy production
