Snowfall across the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) mountain range has dropped to its lowest level in 23 years, posing a serious threat to the water security of nearly two billion people who rely on snowmelt for fresh water, scientists warned in a report on Monday.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) revealed a 23.6% decline in snow persistence across the region, marking the third consecutive year of reduced snowfall. The HKH region, which stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, holds the largest ice and snow reserves outside the poles and feeds 12 major river basins.
“This trend, now in its third consecutive year, threatens water security for nearly two billion people,” the report said, warning of reduced river flows, increased dependence on groundwater, and higher drought risks.
Lead author Sher Muhammad noted that snowfall began late this year and remained below average throughout the winter.
Several countries in the region, including Pakistan, India, and Nepal, have already issued drought warnings. The declining snow levels could severely impact upcoming harvests and worsen heatwave conditions in an already climate-vulnerable region.
The ICIMOD called for urgent measures including enhanced water management, better drought preparedness, and stronger regional cooperation. It also highlighted alarming snow loss in the Mekong and Salween river basins, which supply water to China and Myanmar.
ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho emphasized that current carbon emissions have set an “irreversible course of recurrent snow anomalies” in the HKH, urging immediate policy action.
The warning follows a UN report that identified Asia as the most disaster-prone region due to climate change, with five of the past six years recording the fastest glacier melt on record.
