The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has released ‘Changing Dynamics of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region from 1990 to 2020’.
- Glaciers in the region shrank by around 12% of their total area during 1990–2020.
- The rate of ice loss has doubled since 2000, reflecting faster melting as temperatures rise.
- Glaciers have thinned by up to 27 metres since 1975.
- The region is called the ‘Third Pole’ as it holds the largest ice reserves outside the Arctic and Antarctic.
- Melting threatens water supply in rivers such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra.