Third Pole: climate challenges and global consequences
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58951/dataset.2024.032Keywords:
Glaciers, Global warming, Hindu Kush-Himalaya, Melting, Water resources, Climate change, Third PoleAbstract
This article investigates the Third Pole region, which encompasses the mountain ranges of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas (HKH), a crucial area for water supply across much of Asia. The area contains over 50,000 glaciers, the largest concentration of ice outside the poles, playing a vital role in regulating key Asian rivers such as the Ganges, Yangtze, and Mekong, which provide water to approximately 1.9 billion people. However, rising temperatures, combined with atmospheric pollution, are accelerating glacier melt, with projections that more than 60% of the ice volume could be lost by the end of the century. This phenomenon increases the risk of glacial lake outburst floods and threatens water security in Asia, exacerbating regional tensions between countries sharing the river basins. The article concludes that even with global efforts to limit warming, climate change will continue to cause significant ice volume losses, impacting water and climate stability by the end of the century.
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