ISLAMABAD: Snowfall in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range has dropped to its lowest level in 23 years, posing a serious threat to nearly two billion people who rely on snowmelt for their water supply, scientists cautioned in a report released on Monday.
Spanning from Afghanistan to Myanmar, the Hindu Kush-Himalayan range contains the largest reserves of snow and ice outside the Arctic and Antarctic regions. It serves as a critical freshwater source for around two billion people.
According to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), researchers identified “a significant decline in seasonal snow across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region,” with snow persistence—defined as the duration snow remains on the ground—falling 23.6 percent below normal. This marks the lowest level recorded in over two decades.
“This trend, now in its third consecutive year, threatens water security for nearly two billion people,” ICIMOD stated in its Snow Update Report.
The report further warned of potential consequences, including “reduced river flows, increased dependence on groundwater, and an elevated risk of drought.”
Sher Muhammad, the lead author of the ICIMOD report, told AFP that “this year, snowfall began late in January and remained below average throughout the winter season.”
Several nations within the region have already issued drought alerts, with upcoming harvests and water availability at risk—particularly as communities contend with longer, hotter, and more frequent heatwaves.
ICIMOD, an intergovernmental organization, includes member countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
The organization urged these countries, which depend on the region’s 12 major river basins, to implement strategies for “enhanced water management, improved drought preparedness, advanced early warning systems, and strengthened regional cooperation.”
It also highlighted that the Mekong and Salween river basins—the longest in Southeast Asia and essential to China and Myanmar—had experienced nearly a 50 percent loss in snow cover.
Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD’s Director General, emphasized the need for long-term policy reforms to address declining snow levels.
“Carbon emissions have already locked in an irreversible course of recurrent snow anomalies in the HKH (Hindu Kush-Himalayas),” Gyamtsho stated.
Asia remains the region most affected by climate-related disasters, according to the UN’s World Meteorological Organization, which recently reported that five of the last six years have experienced the fastest glacier retreat on record.
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