This article discusses how several studies show that melting glaciers threaten Asia’s drought buffer, scientists warn. No links to the studies are provided.
At least a third of the ice in the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush will thaw by 2100, even if governments take tough action to limit global warming. Countries from India to Kazakhstan are far more dependent on melting glaciers for water than previously thought, particularly in summer droughts, scientists said on Wednesday, warning that rising temperatures were threatening supply.
Each summer, the 95,000 glaciers in the mountain region spanning from Kyrgyzstan’s Alai range to the Himalayas produce enough meltwater to support 221 million people, researchers at the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) calculated.
That provides a crucial buffer against droughts, when rains fail and reserves are strained, according to the study, published in the journal Nature.