Himalayan Ice Loss Puts India’s Economy at Risk

A report by Systemiq and its partners warns that Himalayan glaciers are losing mass 65% faster than they were a decade ago. The report says this change can increase flood risks and later affect water supplies. It describes 56 glacial lakes in India as very high risk.

The study estimates that Himalayan water supports roughly one-fifth of India’s GDP. That is an estimate of the water system’s wider economic importance, not a forecast that one-fifth of the economy will disappear. Mountain states receive only a small share of the value created downstream, the report says.

Black carbon is another concern. This dark material, much of it linked by the report to brick kilns in the plains, can settle on snow and ice and speed melting. The authors say cutting it is a regional action that can help now.

They call for stronger monitoring, early-warning systems and cooperation across borders. ICIMOD says hazards in the Hindu Kush Himalaya do not respect national borders, so one country cannot solve them alone.