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Snow persistence across the Hindu Kush Himalaya is 27% below the long-term average for winter 2025–26
Fourth consecutive year of decline, exceeding last year’s 23.6% deficit
Only 2 of 12 major river basins — Ganga and Irrawaddy — recorded above-average snow levels
Sharpest declines seen in Mekong (59.5%), Tibetan Plateau (47.4%) and Salween (41.8%)
Reduced snowmelt could lower river flows, increase groundwater use and raise drought risks across the region
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has recorded its lowest snow persistence in recent years, with levels 27 per cent below the long-term average for the winter season from November 2025 to March 2026, according to a new report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development.
Snow persistence is defined by ICIMOD as “the fraction of time snow remains on the ground after snowfall”. This marks the fourth consecutive year of below-average snow persistence in the region, surpassing the previous record deficit of 23.6 per cent in 2025.
“This indicates a persistent decline in seasonal snow reserves at a regional scale and calls for early, coordinated water management and drought preparedness measures, particularly in the snow-dominated western basins such as Amu Darya, Helmand, Indus and Tarim,” ICIMOD said.
The Kathmandu-based research organisation analysed 12 major river basins originating in the HKH region and found that only two, the Ganga and Irrawaddy basins, recorded above-average snow persistence, at 16.3 per cent and over 21 per cent, respectively.
The sharpest declines were recorded in the Mekong basin (59.5 per cent), followed by the Tibetan Plateau (47.4 per cent) and the Salween basin (41.8 per cent).
The report warns that declining snow persistence raises the chances of drought. “Such steadily declining persistence of seasonal snow, below-normal precipitation in spring may lead to reduced run-offs, further cascading into increased groundwater extraction and risks of droughts across the region,” it stated.
For communities downstream, lower snow persistence is particularly concerning for water availability during early summer. “Reduced snowmelt means lower contributions to river runoff in the early melt season, with likely implications for downstream water supply, agriculture, hydropower generation, and related livelihoods,” the report said.
The eventual severity of impacts will depend on how spring and early summer conditions evolve, including the timing and intensity of warming, dry spells, precipitation and any extreme weather events, said ICIMOD.
The report underscored the need to prioritise adaptive water resource management to mitigate potential water shortages.
The findings add to growing evidence of environmental change in the HKH region. An earlier ICIMOD report found that the rate of ice loss in the region has doubled since 2000. DTE has earlier reported that the Himalayas have lost ice equivalent to the height of a six-storey building over the past 50 years.
The HKH, often referred to as the “Third Pole” or the “Water Tower of Asia”, spans eight countries and covers a high-altitude region of more than 55,000 sq km. It is the source of 10 major river systems and contains over 60,000 glaciers, holding nearly 6,000 cubic kilometres of ice.
This region holds more ice and snow than anywhere else on Earth outside the Arctic and Antarctic, and serves as the source of over ten major river systems that sustain nearly two billion people.
A 2025 report by the United Nations had underlined that water governance in mountain regions is significantly weaker than in lowland areas. It found that glaciers worldwide are thinning at an alarming rate, with those in the HKH experiencing some of the most severe losses due to climate change, retreating 65 per cent faster between 2011 and 2020 than in the previous decade.