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Rising Temperatures Could Melt Most Himalayan Glaciers By 2100 (nationalgeographic.com)

An anonymous reader quotes a report from The New York Times: Rising temperatures in the Himalayas, home to most of the world's tallest mountains, will melt at least one-third of the region's glaciers by the end of the century (Warning: source may be paywalled; alternative source) even if the world's most ambitious climate change targets are met, according to a report released Monday. If those goals are not achieved, and global warming and greenhouse gas emissions continue at their current rates, the Himalayas could lose two-thirds of its glaciers by 2100, according to the report, the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment. Under those more dire circumstances, the Himalayas could heat up by 8 degrees Fahrenheit (4.4 degrees Celsius) by century's end, bringing radical disruptions to food and water supplies, and mass population displacement. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, which spans over 2,000 miles of Asia, provide water resources to around a quarter of the world's population. One of the most complete studies on mountain warming, the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment was put together over five years by 210 authors. The report includes input from more than 350 researchers and policymakers from 22 countries.

3 of 351 comments (clear)

  1. Re:That's a lot of people involved by ClickOnThis · · Score: 4, Informative

    Occam's Razor is a philosophical precept, not a conspiracy.

    Troll harder.

    --
    If it weren't for deadlines, nothing would be late.
  2. Re:Rivers westerners may not be familiar with... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 4, Informative

    But, you'll still need to convince both governments that it's a problem.

    You don't need to convince China's government. China takes AGW seriously. They have more installed solar capacity than any other country, and much more under construction. They are building nukes, installing wind turbines, and investing in electric cars.

    India ... not so much. Democracies have difficulty dealing with long timeline problems.

  3. Re:So why is it a problem by religionofpeas · · Score: 5, Informative

    So why should those governments be concerned, when they will be getting more water - not less?

    Because the glaciers act as a reservoir, releasing a steady stream throughout the year. Without glaciers, you get floods and droughts depending on season and weather patterns.