Himalayas could lose 75% of ice by 2100

The Himalayas, the world's third-largest repository of ice and snow, are at a critical juncture as it grapples with an accelerated loss of glaciers.

The Himalayas, the world's third-largest repository of ice and snow, are at a critical juncture as it grapples with an accelerated loss of glaciers.

The State of India’s Environment 2024 report has unveiled that the region has borne the brunt of 44 percent of India’s natural disasters from 2013 to 2022.

This alarming statistic points to the increasing severity and frequency of floods, landslides, and thunderstorms, particularly in the Himalayan states, signaling an environmental crisis on the brink.

The accelerated glacier melt in the upper reaches of the Himalayas, with a reported rate of 65 per cent, is attributed to the rapid rise in surface temperatures.

The emergence of new glacial lakes triggered by cloudbursts exacerbates the risks, leading to flooding whenever these lakes overflow.

Climate change has also triggered shifts in the vegetation line in the Himalayas, with a notable migration of 11 to 54 meters per decade.

The report concludes with a stark warning that if the current trajectory persists, with 40 percent of Himalayan ice already lost, up to 75 percent more could disappear by the end of this century.