The heat get the ice on the roof of the World to digest

the Himalayas – also called the roof of the World – is the world's largest mountain range. The melt water from the glaciers covering the highest parts flows down the mountains to the neighboring valleys and slättområdena, where it provides the people who live there with the water.

– as a result of global warming will disappear, completely or partially?

the Guide: As you become more climate-smart

This question has engaged 350 researchers and policyexperter from 22 countries and 185 organizations during the last five years. The report, which is now ready, has been carried out in the same way as the intergovernmental panel on climate change IPCC. It is also the first of its kind for this region.

– this field can be likened to water towers of Asia. It is the third largest glaciärområdet after the North and south poles, " says Mari Albihn, the environment and climate adviser for Asia at the Page which co-funded the report.

the Researchers, coordinated by the Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), has studied the consequences for the people in the so-called hindu Kush Himalayas, that is to say, the part of the mountain range, where the Himalayan massif, K2, and other of the world's highest mountains are included.

with that 240 million people are directly dependent on glacier runoff for their water supply, while a further 1.65 billion people are dependent on the same water ”downstream” – in the valleys and on the plains in countries such as Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.

the Report shows that even if we reach the most ambitious climate target and succeed in curbing global warming to 1.5 degrees, as will a third of the glaciers in the hindu Kush Himalayas to melt away. The impact is expected to be huge.

– A warmer climate means more extreme weather. When the ice melts and it gets warmer it becomes severe floods in some periods and severe drought during the other periods. This will affect the water supply, which, in turn, will affect food security, since agriculture is affected. Also energy security and the risk of landslides will be affected, " says Mari Albihn.

If the climate fails, so that the temperature rise in the region becomes three, four or even five degrees, two-thirds of the glaciers have disappeared by the year 2100.

- In this case, it becomes even more difficult. We know, however, is not with the rate at which this temperature rise will occur. It can go even faster, but there is nothing like this report studied, " says Mari Albihn.