The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s 2017 study serves as a stark reminder of the impending crisis in the Himalayan region, where a 2-degree Celsius temperature rise is projected by the century’s end, even if global averages are kept at 1.5 degrees Celsius.
The ongoing COP28 must not only acknowledge these alarming trends but also prompt decisive global action to mitigate the impacts on vulnerable mountainous regions.
The stakes are high, with millions of lives and the ecological balance of an entire region hanging in the balance. The world’s response to this crisis will undoubtedly be a defining moment in the fight against climate change.
UN Chief Antonio Guterres’ warning underscores the catastrophe unfolding in the Himalayas, where glaciers are rapidly melting. His call for a response tailored to developing nations, especially those in mountainous regions, reflects the gravity of the situation. The dependence of almost 240 million people on the Himalayan glaciers and the vital rivers they feed, including the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra, amplifies the global ramifications.
Guterres’ emphasis on the disappearance of almost a third of Nepal’s ice in just over 30 years highlights the direct link between greenhouse gas pollution and the alarming environmental changes. The fate of these glaciers extends beyond regional concerns, as over a billion people downstream in countries like India rely on the glacier-fed rivers for their sustenance.