Subscribe
Himalayan glaciers are losing mass 65% faster than they were a decade ago, increasing the risk of disasters linked to glacial lakes, melting ice and unstable slopes, a new report says.
Black carbon from South Asia contributes about one-third of Himalayan glacier melt, with brick kilns and other industries in the plains among the key sources.
The report assessed 189 high-risk glacial lakes in India and classified 56 of them as very high risk, warning that downstream villages, roads, bridges and infrastructure remain exposed.
It calls for stronger glacier monitoring, early-warning systems, action on black carbon, spring revival, better forest management and a new development model for the Himalayas.
The Himalayas are more than a chain of snow-capped mountains. They provide water, food, electricity and livelihoods for millions of people. But this lifeline is changing rapidly.
Himalayan glaciers are losing mass 65 per cent faster than they were a decade ago, according to a new report. The change is increasing the risk of disasters linked to glacial lakes, melting ice and unstable mountain slopes.
The report, Prosperous and Resilient Himalayas, was produced by global consultancy Systemiq with the Integrated Mountain Initiative, with technical contributions from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development and the G B Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment.
It says black carbon from South Asia contributes to about one-third of Himalayan glacier melt. The soot is emitted from several sources, including brick kilns in the plains.
Industries in South Asia, especially brick kilns, contribute 32 per cent to 42 per cent of human-caused black carbon emissions affecting the Himalayan region, according to the report. When these particles settle on ice and snow, they darken the surface, absorb more solar heat and accelerate melting.
The report says the rapidly changing mountain environment is not only causing local damage, but also directly affecting India’s economy.
As glaciers retreat, new glacial lakes are forming in the high mountains. These lakes are often held back by weak natural dams made of ice, loose rock and debris. If these barriers collapse, large floods can suddenly surge into the valleys below.
A similar disaster was seen recently in Nepal, where a sudden flood on August 26, 2026, swept away homes and roads and damaged rural livelihoods.
India faces similar risks. The report scientifically assessed 189 high-risk glacial lakes in India, of which 56 were classified as very high risk. Villages, towns, roads, bridges and other infrastructure downstream from these lakes remain exposed to flash-flood risks. The threat is not limited to glacial lakes. Melting permafrost and unstable high mountain slopes are also increasing the risk of landslides and other disasters.
The report also flags a serious monitoring gap in the Himalayas. The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is estimated to have around 40,000 glaciers, but only 0.1 per cent are regularly monitored.
That means only a very small part of the rapidly changing region is under consistent scientific observation. Without stronger monitoring, risk mapping and early-warning systems, the report says, it will be difficult to predict future disasters in time.
The impact of the Himalayan crisis will not be limited to the mountains. Glacier-fed water is central to water security across South Asia. Most Himalayan river basins are expected to reach “peak water” by the middle of this century. This means river water from melting glaciers will first rise to a maximum and then gradually decline as stored ice diminishes.
The report warns that, if current trends continue, up to 80 per cent of the present volume of Himalayan glaciers could be at risk by the end of this century. This could affect farmland, drinking water, hydropower, industry and cities across the plains.
The loss of snow and ice in the Himalayas could therefore become a major challenge for water availability in the coming years.
The Himalayas cover about 18 per cent of India’s land area, but about 35 per cent of the country’s natural disasters are linked to the region.
They are also of immense economic importance. According to the report, the Himalayan ecosystem directly and indirectly supports more than 20 per cent of India’s GDP. Agriculture, food production, hydropower, tourism and the livelihoods of millions of people depend on it.
Yet mountain states retain only about 5 per cent of the economic value generated by this natural wealth. This means the Himalayas contribute significantly to the national economy, while the burden of protecting and maintaining them falls largely on mountain regions.
In 2025, more than 400 million tourists visited the Indian Himalayan region — about eight times the region’s population, according to the report.
Scientists say tackling climate change requires global action. But black carbon is one pollutant on which India and South Asia can act more quickly.
Because black carbon contributes about one-third of Himalayan glacier melt, reducing soot emissions from brick kilns and other sources in the plains could be an important local measure to reduce pressure on glaciers, the report says. Its message is clear: global warming must be addressed collectively, but action on black carbon can begin now.
The report also calls for a new development model for the Himalayas, focused on protecting glaciers, forests, springs and mountain ecosystems, while strengthening disaster resilience.
It identifies 10 priority changes, including reducing black carbon, monitoring glaciers and permafrost, strengthening early-warning systems, reviving drying Himalayan springs, improving forest management and planning tourism according to sustainable carrying capacity.
The report says investments in these changes could generate, on average, about Rs 8 in benefits for every rupee spent, once avoided economic, social, environmental and disaster losses are included.
The Himalayan crisis does not stop at national borders. Pema Gyamtsho, director general of ICIMOD, said the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is changing rapidly. Glaciers are retreating, while permafrost and high mountain slopes are becoming unstable, increasing the risk of complex and repeated disasters affecting downstream communities and infrastructure.
He said these threats do not respect national borders, making cross-border monitoring, shared risk information, early-warning systems and joint investments essential.
Nicholas Stern, president of the Grantham Research Institute, has described the Himalayas as the “Third Pole”. Unlike the Arctic and Antarctic, this Third Pole is home to millions of people, he said. Protecting it is therefore not only an environmental issue, but also a question of water, food, economic security and human life.
