Himalayan glaciers are melting at an unprecedented rate, threatening the water supply to nearly two billion people worldwide.
The International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) released a study on Tuesday that found that glaciers in the Himalayas were melting at a rate that was 65% faster than it had been in the previous decade.
The melting of the ice was anticipated as a result of the warming. However, the study’s lead author, Philippus Wester, told AFP that the speed is both surprising and very troubling. “It’s moving much faster than we thought,” he stated.
The glaciers of the Hindu Kush and Himalayas provide water for approximately 240 million people living in the mountainous regions and another 1.65 billion people living in the valleys below. According to the report,
