Third of Himalayas doomed to melt
- 5 years ago
KATHMANDU, NEPAL — One-third of the glaciers from the peaceful Himalayas will melt off by 2100 and a recent report shows that not even immediate climate change actions can save them, reports The Guardian.
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region span eight countries and are an important geo-ecological asset. They are the origin of 10 major river basins and sustain the lives of 1.65 billion people.
A new report called The Hindu Kush-Himalaya Assessment predicts that 36 percent of the glaciers located in the Himalayan and Hindu Kush range will be gone by 2100 even if carbon emissions are slashed to zero by 2050.
Even if the global rise in temperature is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, 50 percent of the glaciers would disappear by 2100. The report predicts that in 2050 and 2060 river flow will increase possibly causing glacial lake outburst floods in surrounding communities.
The Hindu Kush Himalayan range has already lost roughly 15 percent of its ice since the 1970s.
Sherab Lama, a Nepalese Buddhist monk told NPR people that from his village are scared saying, 'They say, 'I don't know what will happen after two to three generations.' They are very worried. I am very worried.'
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region span eight countries and are an important geo-ecological asset. They are the origin of 10 major river basins and sustain the lives of 1.65 billion people.
A new report called The Hindu Kush-Himalaya Assessment predicts that 36 percent of the glaciers located in the Himalayan and Hindu Kush range will be gone by 2100 even if carbon emissions are slashed to zero by 2050.
Even if the global rise in temperature is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, 50 percent of the glaciers would disappear by 2100. The report predicts that in 2050 and 2060 river flow will increase possibly causing glacial lake outburst floods in surrounding communities.
The Hindu Kush Himalayan range has already lost roughly 15 percent of its ice since the 1970s.
Sherab Lama, a Nepalese Buddhist monk told NPR people that from his village are scared saying, 'They say, 'I don't know what will happen after two to three generations.' They are very worried. I am very worried.'