Water, ice, society, and ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: An outlook

The water, ice, society, and ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HI-WISE) report draws on recent scientific advances to map for the first time the links between the cryosphere, water, biodiversity, and society in the region, charting the impacts of rapid changes in glaciers and snow on people and nature.  The HKH stretches 3,500km from Afghanistan to Myanmar, has the highest mountain ranges in the world, the largest volume of ice of on Earth outside the polar regions and holds all or parts of four global biodiversity hotspots supporting diverse flora and fauna.

Based on an assessment of the literature, this peer-reviewed report shows that the HKH cryosphere is undergoing unprecedented and largely irreversible changes over human timescales, primarily driven by climate change. The impacts are becoming increasingly clear, with increased warming at higher elevations, the accelerated melting of glaciers, increasing permafrost thaw, declining snow cover, and more erratic snowfall patterns. The report also provides recommendations for policymakers on addressing the cascading impacts of climate change in the critical mountain biome, which will affect a quarter of the world’s population.