Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming not controlled, study finds

A new report from a Nepal-based research organization finds that water security for nearly 2 billion people living downstream from the Hindu Kush Himalayan ranges will likely be threatened by the end of this century if global warming is not controlled. The study by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development found that Himalayan glaciers disappeared 65% faster in the 2010s than in the previous decade. It also found the glaciers could lose up to 80% of their volume by the end of this century. Ice and snow in the Hindu Kush Himalaya are an important source of water for 12 rivers that flow through 16 countries in Asia, providing fresh water to 240 million people in the mountains and another 1.65 billion downstream.