Glaciers Are Melting Fast: What’s Causing It and Why It Matters

Glaciers in the Himalayan region are melting at an unusual rate, endangering downstream towns and India's water supplies. Experts are calling for quick solutions to address this situation. According to a recently published United Nations report, the livelihoods of Himalayan grazers are now more vulnerable due to the glaciers' rapid melting.

The paper, which was published on World Glacier Day, stated that "herders at their summer residences and winter camps in the Himalayas are adversely affected by the changes in snow and glaciers."

Glaciers: Indicator of Climate Change

"Glaciers are excellent climate change indicators because their retreat enables us to observe the changes in the environment firsthand." The Guardian cited Dr. Lilian Schuster, a co-lead author and professor at the University of Innsbruck in Austria, as saying, "The situation for glaciers is actually far worse than visible in the mountains today because they adjust over longer timescales." Schuster added that "this study shows every tenth of a degree less of global warming matters, so it's not too late to act now."

Why are Glaciers Melting Fast?

Glaciers are losing ice at a faster rate than they have in previous millennia due to rising temperatures. According to a recent study published in the Science magazine, if global temperatures increase by 2 degrees Celsius over pre-industrial levels, the Hindu Kush Himalaya may lose up to 75% of its glaciers by the year 2100.

“Our findings unequivocally demonstrate that ice is currently being lost from Himalayan glaciers at a rate that is at least ten times higher than the average rate over previous centuries," stated Dr. Jonathan Carrivick, corresponding author and deputy head of the University of Leeds School of Geography. Only in recent decades has the rate of loss accelerated, and it is correlated with climate change brought on by human activity.

Factors Responsible for Glacier Melting

Because of the warming impacts of lakes, glaciers that finish in lakes are melting more quickly than those that end inland. These lakes are growing in size and number, which is causing the mass loss to continue.

• Natural debris: Although they only make up roughly 7.5% of all glaciers, glaciers with substantial natural debris are losing mass more quickly, accounting for 46.5% of the overall volume loss.

• Carbon: Sunlight is absorbed by black carbon particles that settle on glaciers, hastening melting. Because melting impacts not only glaciers but also local water supplies and climatic patterns, this phenomena is very worrisome.

• Geological Factors: A number of geological factors are also at play, as variations in weather patterns and physical features are causing glaciers in the eastern Himalayan regions—including eastern Nepal and Bhutan—to melt more quickly.

Almost two billion people who live downstream of rivers that originate in the Himalayan mountains may experience water shortages as a result of the faster melting brought on by rising global temperatures brought on by climate change. Drinking water, hydropower, and agriculture may all be impacted by such changes in rivers supplied by glacial meltwater. Avalanches, flash floods, and glacier lake outburst floods will also be more likely.