Himalayan Snowfall Hits 23-Year Low, Endangering Water Supply for Two Billion People
Snowfall in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region has reached its lowest level in 23 years, threatening water security for nearly two billion people across Asia. The ICIMOD report highlights the need for better water management and climate resilience amid rising drought and climate risks.
The Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain system, spanning eight nations in South and Southeast Asia, has experienced its lowest snowfall in 23 years, which has initiated severe water security issues for almost two billion individuals. According to the latest Snow Update Report by International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the persistence of snow—that is, how long it lasts on the ground—was found to have been 23.6% shorter than normal, the lowest ever recorded as well over two decades of data collection have begun.
This sudden drop in snowfall is part of a three-year falling trend, and this year's snowfall has been late and stubbornly low all winter long. The Hindu Kush-Himalayas hold the third-largest reservoir of Earth and ice, after polar areas, and are critical to the well-being of 12 large river basins that serve as lifelines for various nations, such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.
The declining snowfall has short- and long-term impacts on the region. Reduced snowmelt threatens the seasonal river runs that communities rely on for agriculture, drinking water, and energy. With fewer sources of snowmelt to supply the rivers, most regions will be forced to return to more groundwater pumping, further straining already overworked resources. Most countries have already begun issuing drought warnings as spring crops and water supplies are becoming more vulnerable to repeated heatwaves and dryness.
Southeast Asia, China and Myanmar's Salween and Mekong river basins, have lost 50% of snow cover each. It could cause extreme disruption in farm output, hydropower output, and water consumed daily by downstream cultures. The situation also hints at possible geopolitical friction over communal water resources as shortages rise.
The ICIMOD report stresses greater regional cooperation in water policy management, drought relief, and early warning systems. It also warns that ongoing climate change and carbon emissions have already initiated such trends of abnormal snow behavior that will only continue, and maybe even increase, in the future. The trends are initiating glacier melting at a faster rate, shortening the length of snow, and lowering snowfall as precipitation, which is impacting long-term water availability.
Asia remains the most climate-disaster-stricken continent, and recent UN World Meteorological Organization figures also confirm. Five of the past six years recorded the fastest glacier melting on record. The accelerated trends issue a warning for regional cooperation and investment in climate change resilience.
Experts point out that water conservation policy reform and technological change are imperative now in this field of glacier monitoring and sustainable agriculture. If left to their own devices, local communities across the region may soon face looming food insecurity, economic loss, and heightened risks of displacement as environmental degradation takes its toll.
Source/Credits:
2025 AFP | Report by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
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