Melting at the Top of the World

Chethana Janith, Jadetimes Staff

C. Janith is a Jadetimes news reporter and sub-editor covering science and geopolitics.

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The Hindu Kush Himalayas – the largest store of ice outside Antarctica and the Arctic – are warming at an alarming rate, nearly three times faster than the global average. Development institutions must act urgently to avert the catastrophic effects of accelerating glacial melt, which could devastate local economies and drive instability on a global scale.

Image Source: (Pool/Getty Images)

The United Nations has designated 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, a fitting time to address the harsh reality of rapidly melting ice sheets. Climate change is the primary driver of this trend, particularly in the Hindu Kush Himalayas – often called the “Earth’s Third Pole” for its vast volume of ice outside the Arctic and Antarctica.

This mountain range stretches across 3,500 kilometers and spans eight countries, from Afghanistan to Myanmar, and is experiencing warming at roughly three times the global average. If global temperatures rise by 3° Celsius above pre-industrial levels by the end of the century, up to 75% of the region’s glaciers could disappear. This would drastically reduce water availability, jeopardize food and energy security, and accelerate biodiversity loss.

Glacial melt poses an existential threat to nearby communities and local economies, but its ripple effects extend worldwide. Increased migration, disruptions in trade, and rising food prices would likely fuel global instability.

The 2021 flood disaster in Nepal’s Melamchi River provides a stark preview of what lies ahead. Unusually intense monsoon rains, coupled with excessive snowmelt, caused a debris flow that ravaged thousands of hectares of farmland, destroyed vital infrastructure, and left hundreds of thousands without access to water.

As glaciers continue to retreat, the region faces an impending water crisis projected to peak by 2050. Reduced river flows will severely hinder crop irrigation in a region responsible for producing about one-third of the world’s rice and one-quarter of its wheat. Water-supply and sanitation systems could collapse, exacerbating the plight of the one billion people already lacking access to basic sanitation. These challenges would almost certainly worsen food insecurity, forcing communities and entire industries to migrate in search of fresh water. The poorest and most vulnerable populations in Asia will bear the brunt of these impacts.

The world must act swiftly to mitigate the disastrous effects of accelerating glacial melt in this region. This requires expanding our understanding through investments in multi-hazard risk assessments, as the extent of the damage will depend on whether global temperatures rise by 1.5°, 1.8°, 2°, or 3°C. Strengthening integrated river-basin management is also vital, involving enhanced data collection, improved knowledge-sharing systems, optimized water management, and coordinated efforts among upstream and downstream communities.

Building climate-resilient infrastructure is another crucial step to ensure access to safe drinking water and maintain energy security, alongside robust sanitation, irrigation, and transport systems. Equally important is protecting ecosystems and adopting nature-based solutions, including afforestation, reforestation, wetland preservation, and floodplain restoration.

Implementing these measures will require substantial additional financing. Development institutions must scale up investments in the Hindu Kush Himalayas and collaborate to reframe the region and its river basins as a global public good, given their critical role in supporting agricultural and industrial activities.

Moreover, the international community must prioritize equitable sharing of glacial resources through cooperation and diplomacy. Such efforts would help prevent conflicts and promote sustainable development, ensuring that the region’s glaciers become a source of peace rather than discord.

Some progress is already being made. The Asian Development Bank (ADB), alongside the Green Climate Fund and country partners, recently launched the Glaciers to Farms program, which will mobilize $3.5 billion to bolster climate resilience in agriculture across Central and West Asia. Similarly, ADB’s Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas-Bhutan and Nepal initiative is aiding the planning and design of climate-resilient infrastructure and services. The ADB is also exploring innovative financing instruments, such as eco-compensation mechanisms, carbon markets, water trading, and sustainability-linked bonds.

When UNESCO and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) inaugurated the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation last month, WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo called it “a wake-up call to the world.” The global community must commit to building climate resilience, advancing the green transition, and fostering regional cooperation to secure a sustainable future for the billions who depend on glaciers and their ecosystems. Delayed action would result in catastrophic consequences for all of us.