Explained: Why Himalayan Glaciers Are Melting Faster Than Expected

NDTV

06-07-2025

The Himalayan region is facing a critical problem of glaciers melting at an exceptional rate, posing risks to India's water resources and downstream communities, with experts urging immediate action plans to mitigate the issue. A recent report by the United Nations highlighted that the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers has increased the vulnerability of Himalayan grazers' livelihoods.
"The changes in snow and glaciers adversely affect herders at their summer residences and winter camps in the Himalayas," the report, released on World Glacier Day, noted.
Who is at risk?
The accelerated melting, caused by rising global temperatures due to climate change, would impact water security as nearly two billion people living downstream of rivers originating in the Himalayan ranges may face water shortages. Such changes in glacier meltwater-fed rivers could impact agriculture, hydropower and drinking water. There will also be an increased risk of glacial lake outburst floods, avalanches and flash floods.
What are the possible reasons for glacier melt?
Rising temperatures are causing glaciers to lose ice at a rate higher than the average rate over past centuries. The Hindu Kush Himalaya could lose up to 75 per cent of its glaciers by the year 2100 if global temperatures rise by 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, the latest study published by the Science journal revealed.
"Glaciers are good indicators of climate change because their retreat allows us to see with our own eyes how the climate is changing. However, since they adjust over longer timescales, the situation for glaciers is actually far worse than visible in the mountains today," Dr Lilian Schuster, at the University of Innsbruck, Austria, and co-lead author, said as quoted by The Guardian. Schuster further said that it was "not too late to act now because this study shows every tenth of a degree less of global warming matters".
The glaciers ending in lakes are melting faster than those ending inland due to the warming effects of the lakes. The number and size of these lakes are increasing, contributing to continued mass loss.
Natural debris: Glaciers with significant natural debris are l osing mass more quickly, contributing around 46.5% of total volume loss despite making up only about 7.5% of the total number of glaciers.
Carbon: Black carbon particles settling on glaciers absorb sunlight, accelerating melting. This phenomenon is particularly concerning, as it affects not only the glaciers but also regional water resources and climate patterns.
Several geographical factors are also responsible, as the eastern regions of the Himalayas, including eastern Nepal and Bhutan, are experiencing faster glacier melting due to differences in geographical features and weather patterns.
A study, Accelerated mass loss of Himalayan glaciers since the Little Ice Age, published in 2021 in the journal Scientific Reports analysed long-term fluctuations of mountain glaciers.
Dr Jonathan Carrivick, corresponding author and Deputy Head of the University of Leeds School of Geography said: "Our findings clearly show that ice is now being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that is at least ten times higher than the average rate over past centuries. This acceleration in the rate of loss has only emerged within the last few decades, and coincides with human-induced climate change."