Record low snow levels in the Himalayas raise fears of water shortages

New Delhi: low snow levels
Experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), based in Nepal, call on water management officials to implement drought management strategies and emergency water supply measures.

The HKH region relies heavily on its cryosphere—frozen water sources such as snow, permafrost, and glaciers. This frozen water is vital for approximately 240 million people living in the region and significantly impacts around 1.65 billion people downstream.

Snowmelt contributes about 23% of the total water flow in 12 major river basins originating from the HKH. This contribution varies by river, providing 74% of the Amu Darya’s flow, 77% of the Helmand’s flow, and 40% of the Indus’ flow.

This year, monitoring shows that snow levels are nearly 20% below normal across the region, with the most significant declines in the west, where snow contributes the most to water supply. In the Ganga basin, snow persistence has dropped 17% below normal, and in the Brahmaputra basin, it is 14.6% below normal.

The Snow Update Report – 2024 reveals the most dramatic decline in the Helmand river basin, where snow persistence is 31.8% below normal. The Indus basin has fallen to 23.3% below normal, the lowest in 22 years. The Mekong basin has the smallest variation, with snow levels about 1% below normal.

Sher Muhammad, an ICIMOD cryosphere specialist and report author, emphasized the alarming pattern of decreasing snow levels over the past 22 years, with 13 years showing lower-than-normal snow persistence. This trend poses a serious risk of water shortages.

Miriam Jackson, ICIMOD’s senior cryosphere specialist, stressed the need for early summer drought preparation and water stress management plans. She called for urgent action to adapt to changing snow patterns due to carbon emissions and for G20 countries to accelerate emission reductions to prevent further impacts.

The experts indicated that increasing rainwater collection and forming local water committees could help minimize the immediate effects of below-average snowfalls. Furthermore, countries that share transboundary rivers must work together to update water management rules to provide long-term resilience to climate change and alleviate South Asia’s water shortages.

You might also be interested in – PM Modi’s letter to the country after 45 hours of “Sadhna”: Read the full text