at Least a third of the glacier area of the Himalayas and the Hindu Kush will melt, according to a study by the end of this century – even if the most ambitious goals of the Paris and Katowice international climate conferences to be achieved. Global efforts for the climate should fail protection, it would be even two-thirds, – stated in the published on Monday the report of the International centre for Integrated mountain development (ICIMOD) in Nepal. The glaciers are a vital source of water for some 1.9 billion inhabitants of the Region – in the mountains as well as along the rivers.
More extreme weather
The Paris climate agreement provides for, among other things, to limit global warming compared to the preindustrial time is “well below two degrees”, as far as possible to 1.5 degrees. The latter value in the global average should be reached by the end of the century, this would increase the temperatures, according to the report, in the 3500-kilometre-long mountainous region of 2.1 degrees. This will bring the supply of water, food and energy from the Lot. In addition, it will lead to worse air pollution, as well as an increase in extreme weather events.
“global warming is going to turn the icy, glacier-capped peaks of the HKH (Hindu Kush-Himalaya), covering eight countries, within a little less than a century in bald rock,” quoted the chief editor of the report, Philip Wester, said in a statement.
Dramatic warning 2007
the study involved about 350 researchers and experts from 22 countries and 185 organizations worked according to the figures available for five years. The ICIMOD and the governments of the eight countries in the territory of the Himalayan and Hindu Kush mountains of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan. The centre has its seat in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu. The results of sound, if not quite so dramatic, similar to the international climate scientists in 2007, in an official report laid down. There it was said that the Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035, completely. However, these forecasts had to be pulled back, because they were not proven on the present actual research data. Results similar to the present came in the last few years, however, by other research groups. (dpa/rif)
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