Himalayan glaciers are losing mass 65% faster than a decade ago, according to reporting from The Business Standard. The Himalaya-Karakoram region holds roughly 40,000 glaciers, but only about 21 are monitored in detail on a sustained basis, leaving most melt trends and flood hazards unmeasured. Retreating glaciers are expanding unstable glacial lakes. Recent floods in Nepal and Tibet killed more than 1,300 people. In India, the Himalayan region covers 18% of the country's land area but accounts for about 35% of its natural disasters, with 56 glacial lakes rated very high risk. Black carbon from brick kilns and other sources drives roughly one-third of Himalayan melt, making it a regional pollution problem South Asian countries can address through local policy. Glacier runoff is projected to peak around mid-century, threatening water supplies for agriculture and hydropower that support about 20% of India's GDP.
