South Asian rivers at risk as Hindu Kush Himalaya snow cover hits 23-year low
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Dehradun: The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region recorded its lowest snow persistence in 23 years during the 2024–2025 winter, severely affecting major
river basins
and renewing concerns over water security for more than two billion people across South Asia. The 2025 Snow Update by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), released on Monday, revealed that seasonal snow cover in the HKH region was 23.6% below the 20-year average (2003–2023) — the sharpest decline since satellite monitoring began.
Snow persistence — the duration snow remains on the ground — is a critical indicator of future water availability. HKH, often called the "Third Pole", spans 4.2 million sqkm across nine countries, including India, Nepal, Bhutan, and Pakistan. It is the source of 10 major river systems, such as the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra, which support agriculture, hydropower, and drinking water for a third of the global mountain population and a fifth of the world's population overall.
"Four of the past five winters between 2020–21 and 2024–25 saw below-normal snow persistence," the report said. "But the 2024–2025 winter evidenced a historically low persistence of -23.6%, the lowest ever recorded in the past twenty-three years."
Snowmelt from the HKH region contributes nearly 23% of annual river flow, making it a key input for irrigation, hydropower, and ecosystems across 12 major river basins. In the current season, all 12 basins recorded deficits. The Mekong (-51.9%) and Salween (-48.3%) saw the steepest declines.
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In India and Pakistan, the Ganga (-24.1%), Brahmaputra (-27.9%), and Indus (-16.0%) basins — among the most densely populated and agriculturally dependent regions — also recorded significant declines. Experts warned that reduced snow cover, coupled with weak spring precipitation, could lead to reduced river runoff, greater dependence on groundwater, and a heightened risk of drought.
Even if global warming is restricted to 1.5°C, studies estimate that nearly one-third of the HKH region's glaciers could melt by the end of the century. This would further threaten seasonal water flows, especially in early summer when snowmelt becomes crucial for farming and power generation.
Experts called for immediate basin-level adaptive
water management strategies
, drought preparedness, and stronger collaboration among regional stakeholders to safeguard agriculture, hydropower, and natural ecosystems in snow-fed areas. "Carbon emissions set the HKH region on an irreversible path of recurring snow loss," said Dr Pema Gyamtsho, director general of ICIMOD. "Addressing this crisis requires science-driven, forward-looking policies and renewed regional cooperation."
Sher Muhammad, remote sensing specialist at ICIMOD and lead author of the report, described the trend as alarming. "We are now seeing snow deficits occur in continuous succession," he said. "Our findings offer a regional overview, but action must be basin-specific, especially where seasonal snowmelt is a major water source."
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