Explained: Nepal's Climate Justice Push Amid Glacier Loss
Nepal is calling for climate justice following devastating flash floods linked to the rapid melting of Himalayan glaciers. Data from ICIMOD shows a significant decline in glacier area and ice reserves across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region over the last three decades.
Why it matters
The accelerated loss of Himalayan ice threatens the water security and safety of millions living in the region, highlighting the urgent human cost of climate change.
Nepal has called for climate justice from major greenhouse gas-emitting nations after deadly flash floods in the Bhote Koshi River claimed more than a thousand lives. The disaster has renewed attention on the impact of climate change on Himalayan glaciers, whose rapid retreat is increasingly exposing Nepal to extreme weather events and their devastating consequences."The glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region have witnessed a collective decline in their numbers, area and estimated ice reserves over the past three decades, from 1990 to 2020," according to the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).Melting GlaciersThe number of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region fell by two per cent between 1990 and 2020, while their total area shrank by nearly 12 per cent. Glacier cover declined from 63,122 sq km in 1990 to 55,782 sq km in 2020.
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