Himalayan snow at 23-year low, threatening 2 billion people: report

Snow in Himalayas Reaches Lowest Level in 23 Years, Threatening Water Supply for Nearly 2 People: Report

Snowfall in Asia’s Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has reached its lowest level in 23 years, threatening almost two billion people who depend on snowmelt for water, a new report warns. The most recent Snow Update Report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said the region experienced its third below-normal snow year in a row in 2025. Snow persistence — the amount of time snow stays on the ground following a s…

Himalayan snow at 23-year low, threatening 2 billion people – report

Snowfall in Asia's Hindu Kush-Himalayan mountain range has reached a 23-year low, threatening nearly two billion people dependent on snowmelt for water.

Depleted Asia snow levels threaten water supplies of two billion

The NewsSnow levels in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region hit a 23-year low, threatening the water supplies of two billion people.The mountain ranges, which stretch from Afghanistan to Myanmar, hold the world’s largest ice reserves outside the Arctic and Antarctic, and their meltwater is a vital source of fresh water in much of Asia. “Snow persistence,” the time snow lasts on the ground, is 23.6% below normal, the third year of low snow, raising the…

Researchers report a sharp decline in precipitation in the Himalayas. The snow cover drops to a 23-year low. It is already the third year in a row with low values. The water safety of almost two billion people is at stake.

The record-breaking snowmelt of the Himalayas puts at risk the water supply of nearly two billion people, warns a report of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development published this Monday.

Ganga basin hits 23-year low as Himalayan region spirals into 3rd year of shrinking snowfall

Indus sees steepest 5-year drop, Mekong & Salween lose over 50% snow. ICIMOD urges urgent basin-level action, adaptive infrastructure & regional cooperation to avert drought crisis.