How a warming Himalaya could affect billions of people

The majestic Himalayas, often called the “Water Tower of Asia,” are undergoing a drastic transformation. As the Earth warms, so do the towering peaks of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) range, and the consequences could be catastrophic for nearly two billion people who rely on its snow and ice.
Recent data from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) paints a stark picture: snowfall in the HKH region during the winter of 2024-25 plummeted to its lowest in 23 years. Snow persistence, the duration snow remains on the ground, was 23.6 percent below normal. This marks the third consecutive year of decline and signals a dangerous shift in the region’s hydrology.

The Himalayas feed 12 of Asia’s major river systems, including the Ganga, Indus, Brahmaputra, Mekong, and Amu Darya. Snowmelt from these mountains sustains agriculture, drinking water supplies, and hydroelectric power across countries such as India, China, Pakistan, Nepal, and Bangladesh. When snowfall declines, so does the water available to millions downstream.
With winter snowfall now erratic and diminishing, river flows are likely to weaken, groundwater reliance may rise unsustainably, and drought risks could intensify. Some nations have already issued drought warnings, with significant impacts looming over upcoming harvests and urban water supply.

The shrinking snow cover is a direct fallout of climate change. The Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, driven by both global emissions and local changes such as urban sprawl and land-use transformation. A 2019 ICIMOD report warned that even if global warming is kept within 1.5°C as per the Paris Agreement, the HKH region will still warm by 0.3°C, triggering irreversible changes.
Shifting snowfall patterns are being influenced by weaker western disturbances and disruptions in storm systems from the Mediterranean, further unsettling the region’s delicate climatic balance.

In response to these warnings, the path forward demands a two-pronged strategy: mitigation and adaptation. Policymakers need to invest in better water management, drought-proofing agriculture, and upgrading early warning systems. More importantly, regional cooperation must be strengthened.
The ICIMOD report calls on HKH nations to share data on river flows, establish joint alert systems for floods and droughts, and develop an interconnected renewable energy grid to reduce dependency on glacial waters.
However, the politics of water-sharing in South Asia are fraught with complexity. Riparian disputes and national interests often hinder collaboration. Yet, as glaciers shrink and snow becomes scarcer, the cost of inaction will far outweigh the challenges of cooperation.

The melting Himalayas are not just a regional crisis. They are a global climate emergency in the making. The lives and livelihoods of billions depend on the resilience of this high-altitude ecosystem. What happens in the Himalayas will ripple across Asia and beyond.
As the peaks lose their snowy crowns, humanity must act, not just to protect a mountain range, but to secure the future of nearly a quarter of the world’s population.