India

Glaciers in India are concentrated in the North of the country, in the Himalaya, and feeding the Ganges and Brahmaputra rivers. The Himalayas are by far the largest concentration of glaciers outside the polar caps, totaling 33,000 km² of glacial coverage. Predictions of glaciers vanishing within 40 years and a widespread water shortage in Himalayan rivers are especially alarming for the more than 500 million inhabitants of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins, who rely heavily on the supply of melt-water. The problems of water stress are already taking a toll on daily life due to the increasing demands of domestic, agriculture, industry and a growing population. Further reduction would result in serious consequences for the environment and economy.

Retreat until 2050 by glacier