The Himalayas are sounding the alarm: Glacier melt threatens millions of people

The effects of the climate crisis are becoming increasingly visible in the Himalayas. According to a new study, glaciers in the region are losing mass 65% faster than ten years ago. As the expanding glacial lakes increase the risk of landslides and floods, the long‑term water scarcity threat for the hundreds of millions of people who depend on the region’s water resources is also growing.

The rate of glacier melt has accelerated.

The study prepared by Systemiq in partnership with the Integrated Mountain Initiative revealed that the Himalayas are approaching a critical phase. ICIMOD and the G.B. Pant National Himalayan Environment Institute also provided technical input to the work.

According to the study, there are about 40,000 glaciers along the Himalaya–Karakoram line. However, only 21 of them are being monitored in detail over the long term. Experts point out that the limited monitoring capacity makes it difficult to detect risks in the region in a timely manner.

ICIMOD’s studies published in March 2026 also showed that glacier loss in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region has doubled since the year 2000.

As glaciers retreat, dangerous lakes are forming.

The shrinking of glaciers does not simply mean a reduction in water and ice reserves. Behind the retreating glaciers, lakes form, surrounded by natural settings composed of rock and ice masses.

When these settings break apart, large volumes of water can reach valleys in a short time. The resulting glacier lake outflows pose serious threats to settlements, as well as roads, bridges, and energy infrastructure.

Rising temperatures also affect permanently frozen ground at high elevations. As the soil thaws, mountain slopes become more unstable, increasing the likelihood that landslides, rockfalls, floods, and outflows trigger one another.

In India, 56 glacier lakes carry very high risk.

Data from India reveal the magnitude of the danger. Although the Himalayan region covers roughly 18% of the country's land, about 35% of the disasters occur there.

Scientific assessments have classified about 200 glacier lakes in India as high risk. Of those, 56 fall into the 'very high risk' category.

Such disasters have previously caused severe consequences in the Himalayas. In Sikkim, during the glacier lake outburst flood of 2023, at least 70 people lost their lives; transportation routes, bridges, and hydroelectric facilities suffered major damage.

In Uttarakhand, the 2021 flood that struck the Rishiganga and Dhauliganga valleys claimed more than 200 lives.

Today's melt could turn into tomorrow's water crisis.

According to experts, the primary threat in the Himalayas is not limited to sudden outburst floods. The region's ice and snow masses feed South Asia's most important river systems.

ICIMOD data show that the 12 major rivers of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region provide freshwater and ecosystem services to about 2 billion people.

Glacier melt initially increases the volume of water delivered to rivers. However, as ice reserves shrink, that contribution diminishes. After the period experts call the "peak water", a decline in glacier-derived river flow is expected.

Thus, rapid melting increases the risk of flooding in the short term, while in the long term it could further exacerbate water scarcity for millions of people.

Himalayan waters support a significant portion of the Indian economy

The study highlighted that the Himalayas also hold a critical economic position.

According to the report, water from the Himalayas supports about 20 percent of the Indian economy. From agriculture to hydropower, from tea production to tourism and religious pilgrimages, many sectors depend on these resources.

In contrast, it is calculated that the share of economic value generated by the mountainous regions remains around five percent.

Economist Lord Nicholas Stern, director of the Grantham Institute for Climate Change and Environment at the London School of Economics, calls the Himalayas the "Third Pole" because of its vast ice reserves.

Stern, unlike the North and South Poles, emphasizes the region's global importance by noting that hundreds of millions of people live just below the Himalaya glaciers.

Black carbon also accelerates melting.

One of the study's striking findings was the effect of air pollution on glaciers.

According to the report, about one-third of glacier loss in the Himalayas is linked to soot particles called 'black carbon.' In particular, soot emitted from brick kilns in the valleys, when it reaches snow and ice surfaces, causes greater absorption of sunlight.

This causes glaciers to melt more quickly.

Researchers point out that reducing black carbon is one of the key areas where the region's countries can intervene directly.

Uzmanlardan ortak mücadele çağrısı

Araştırmada Himalayalar’daki riskleri azaltmak için 10 öncelikli dönüşüm alanı belirlendi. Siyah karbon salımının azaltılması, buzul izleme sistemlerinin genişletilmesi ve erken uyarı mekanizmalarının güçlendirilmesi bu başlıklar arasında yer aldı.

Dağlık bölgelerde turizmin de yeniden planlanması gerektiği belirtilirken, olası afetlerden önce tahliye planlarının hazırlanması ve kritik altyapının korunması için ülkeler arasında ortak protokoller oluşturulması önerildi.

Himalayalar yılda 400 milyon turist çekiyor

Hindistan’ın Himalaya bölgesi yılda yaklaşık 400 milyon turist ziyareti alıyor. Araştırmacılar, turizm politikalarının yalnızca ziyaretçi sayısını artırmaya odaklanmak yerine doğal çevre üzerindeki baskıyı azaltacak ve ekonomik getirinin bölge halkına daha fazla ulaşmasını sağlayacak şekilde değiştirilmesi gerektiğini savunuyor.

ICIMOD Genel Direktörü Pema Gyamtsho da buzulların geri çekilmesi, donmuş toprakların çözülmesi ve dağ yamaçlarının istikrarsızlaşmasının birbiriyle bağlantılı riskleri artırdığını belirtti.

Uzmanlara göre Himalayalar’daki tehlikeler ülkelerin sınırlarında durmuyor. Bu nedenle ortak buzul izleme ağları kurulması, risk bilgilerinin paylaşılması, erken uyarı sistemlerinin birbirine bağlanması ve afetlere karşı ortak yatırımlar yapılması gerekiyor.