Resource information
Abstract:
"The Greater Himalayas hold the largest mass of ice outside polar regions and are the source of
the 10 largest rivers in Asia. Rapid reduction in the volume of Himalayan glaciers due to climate change is
occurring. The cascading effects of rising temperatures and loss of ice and snow in the region are affecting, for
example, water availability (amounts, seasonality), biodiversity (endemic species, predator–prey relations),
ecosystem boundary shifts (tree-line movements, high-elevation ecosystem changes), and global feedbacks
(monsoonal shifts, loss of soil carbon). Climate change will also have environmental and social impacts that
will likely increase uncertainty in water supplies and agricultural production for human populations across
Asia. A common understanding of climate change needs to be developed through regional and local-scale
research so that mitigation and adaptation strategies can be identified and implemented. The challenges
brought about by climate change in the Greater Himalayas can only be addressed through increased regional
collaboration in scientific research and policy making.".....Keywords:
alpine ecosystem, cascading effects, climate change, glaciers, Himalayas, water resources
