The record
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- A new report by consultancy Systemiq and the Integrated Mountain Initiative warns that Himalayan glaciers are melting 65% faster than a decade ago, with glacier lakes becoming more unstable and monitoring of the region's roughly 40,000 glaciers remaining inadequate, covering only about 21.
- The report says Himalayan water contributes around 20% of India's GDP, supporting wheat, rice, tea, hydropower and pilgrimage economies, though mountain states receive only about 5% of that value.
- India has already seen deadly disasters, including the 2023 Sikkim glacier lake outburst that killed at least 70 people and a 2021 Uttarakhand flood that killed over 200.
- The report recommends ten measures, including cutting black carbon emissions, which it says drives about a third of ice loss and can be directly controlled by India and its neighbours, improving monitoring and early warning systems, and rethinking tourism in the region.
What to watch next
- Whether India and neighbouring countries act on the report's recommendations, including black carbon reduction and better glacier monitoring
- Any government follow-up on the 56 glacier lakes classified as 'very high risk' out of 189 assessed in 2025
- When glacial melt-water flows in the Hindu Kush Himalaya peak around mid-century and begin to decline, as projected by ICIMOD
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Named India · Nepal · China · Arushi Chopra · Central Water Commission · GB Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment · Government of India · Integrated Mountain Initiative · International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development · London School of Economics · Nicholas Stern · Pema Gyamtsho · Systemiq
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