Published on 09 Mar 2025
• Released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a report highlights that the Ganga river basin, India’s largest, reached a record low in snow persistence in 2024.
• The Brahmaputra and Indus basins have experienced similar issues, threatening the water supply for millions.
• Snow persistence, the fraction of time snow remains on the ground, is crucial as its meltwater sustains people and ecosystems.
• Annually, snowmelt contributes 23% of the runoff to the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region’s 12 major river basins.
• The primary reason for the lower persistence in 2024 was weak western disturbances.
Hindu Kush Himalayas
snow
himalaya
western disturbances
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
mountain ecosystem