Himalayan glaciers might lose 80 per cent of their quantity if international warming is not managed

By Associated Press

BENGALURU: Glaciers are melting at unprecedented charges throughout the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and will lose as much as 80 per cent of their quantity this century if greenhouse fuel emissions aren’t sharply decreased, in keeping with a report.

The report Tuesday from Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that flash floods and avalanches would develop extra probably in coming years and that the supply of freshwater can be affected for practically 2 billion individuals who stay downstream of 12 rivers that originate within the mountains.

Ice and snow within the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges are an necessary supply of water for these rivers, which move via 16 international locations in Asia and supply recent water to 240 million individuals within the mountains and one other 1.65 billion downstream.

“The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate change,” mentioned Amina Maharjan, a migration specialist and one of many report’s authors.

“Current adaptation efforts are wholly insufficient, and we are extremely concerned that without greater support, these communities will be unable to cope.”

Various earlier reviews have discovered that the cryosphere — areas on Earth coated by snow and ice — are among the many worst affected by local weather change. Recent analysis discovered that Mount Everest’s glaciers, for instance, have misplaced 2,000 years of ice in simply the previous 30 years.

“We map out for the first time the linkages between cryosphere change with water, ecosystems and society in this mountain region,” Maharjan mentioned.

Among the important thing findings from Tuesday’s report are that the Himalayan glaciers disappeared 65 per cent sooner since 2010 than within the earlier decade and decreasing snow cowl as a consequence of international warming will lead to decreased recent water for individuals residing downstream.

The research discovered that 200 glacier lakes throughout these mountains are deemed harmful, and the area might see a major spike in glacial lake outburst floods by the tip of the century.

The research discovered that communities within the mountain areas are being affected by local weather change way over in lots of different elements of the world. It says modifications to the glaciers, snow and permafrost of the Hindu Kush Himalayan area pushed by international warming are “unprecedented and largely irreversible.”

The results of local weather change are already felt by Himalayan communities generally acutely. Earlier this yr the Indian mountain city of Joshimath started sinking and residents needed to be relocated inside days.

“Once the ice melts in these regions, it’s very difficult to put it back to its frozen form,” mentioned Pam Pearson, director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, who was not concerned with the report. She added, “It’s like a big ship in the ocean. Once the ice starts going, it’s very hard to stop. So, with glaciers, especially the big glaciers in the Himalayas, once they start losing mass, that’s going to continue for a really long time before it can stabilize.”

Pearson mentioned this can be very necessary for Earth’s snow, permafrost and ice to restrict warming to the 1.5 levels Celsius agreed to on the 2015 Paris local weather convention.

“I get the sense that most policymakers don’t take the goal seriously but, in the cryosphere, irreversible changes are already happening,” she mentioned.

BENGALURU: Glaciers are melting at unprecedented charges throughout the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and will lose as much as 80 per cent of their quantity this century if greenhouse fuel emissions aren’t sharply decreased, in keeping with a report.

The report Tuesday from Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development warned that flash floods and avalanches would develop extra probably in coming years and that the supply of freshwater can be affected for practically 2 billion individuals who stay downstream of 12 rivers that originate within the mountains.

Ice and snow within the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges are an necessary supply of water for these rivers, which move via 16 international locations in Asia and supply recent water to 240 million individuals within the mountains and one other 1.65 billion downstream. googletag.cmd.push(operate() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-1687167573941-0’); );

“The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate change,” mentioned Amina Maharjan, a migration specialist and one of many report’s authors.

“Current adaptation efforts are wholly insufficient, and we are extremely concerned that without greater support, these communities will be unable to cope.”

Various earlier reviews have discovered that the cryosphere — areas on Earth coated by snow and ice — are among the many worst affected by local weather change. Recent analysis discovered that Mount Everest’s glaciers, for instance, have misplaced 2,000 years of ice in simply the previous 30 years.

“We map out for the first time the linkages between cryosphere change with water, ecosystems and society in this mountain region,” Maharjan mentioned.

Among the important thing findings from Tuesday’s report are that the Himalayan glaciers disappeared 65 per cent sooner since 2010 than within the earlier decade and decreasing snow cowl as a consequence of international warming will lead to decreased recent water for individuals residing downstream.

The research discovered that 200 glacier lakes throughout these mountains are deemed harmful, and the area might see a major spike in glacial lake outburst floods by the tip of the century.

The research discovered that communities within the mountain areas are being affected by local weather change way over in lots of different elements of the world. It says modifications to the glaciers, snow and permafrost of the Hindu Kush Himalayan area pushed by international warming are “unprecedented and largely irreversible.”

The results of local weather change are already felt by Himalayan communities generally acutely. Earlier this yr the Indian mountain city of Joshimath started sinking and residents needed to be relocated inside days.

“Once the ice melts in these regions, it’s very difficult to put it back to its frozen form,” mentioned Pam Pearson, director of the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, who was not concerned with the report. She added, “It’s like a big ship in the ocean. Once the ice starts going, it’s very hard to stop. So, with glaciers, especially the big glaciers in the Himalayas, once they start losing mass, that’s going to continue for a really long time before it can stabilize.”

Pearson mentioned this can be very necessary for Earth’s snow, permafrost and ice to restrict warming to the 1.5 levels Celsius agreed to on the 2015 Paris local weather convention.

“I get the sense that most policymakers don’t take the goal seriously but, in the cryosphere, irreversible changes are already happening,” she mentioned.