Changing dynamics of glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region from 1990 to 2020

The Hindu Kush Himalaya has experienced rapidly accelerating glacier loss from 1990 to 2020, with total glacier area shrinking by 12%, ice reserves declining 9%, and the most dramatic retreat occurring in the eastern and central ranges, especially between 4,500–6,000 masl, where warming is most impactful; while small glaciers have fragmented and diminished, the large glaciers that sustain major Asian rivers are also under increasing stress, posing growing risks to water security, glacial lake outburst floods, and regional livelihoods.