The Hindu Kush-Himalayan range, which stretches from Afghanistan to Myanmar, holds the largest reserves of ice and snow outside the Arctic and Antarctica and is a vital source of fresh water for about two billion people.
Researchers found “a significant decline in seasonal snow across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, with snow persistence (the time snow remains on the ground) 23.6% below normal — the lowest in 23 years,” the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said.
“This trend, now in its third consecutive year, threatens water security for nearly two billion people,” it said in its Snow Update Report.
The study also warned of “potential lower river flows, increased groundwater reliance, and heightened drought risk.”
Several countries in the region have already issued drought warnings, with upcoming harvests and access to water at risk for populations already facing longer, hotter, and more frequent heatwaves.
The inter-governmental ICIMOD organization is made up of member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.
The Mekong and Salween basins — the two longest rivers in Southeast Asia supplying water to China and Myanmar — had lost around half of their snow cover, it noted.