Current Affair 1:

News:

The report analysed data on snow persistence from 2003 to 2024 and found it to be significantly lower than normal in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) this year, the ICIMOD Snow Update Report 2024 stated.

This is a wake-up call for researchers, policymakers, and downstream communities: lower accumulation of snow and fluctuating levels of snow pose a very serious increased risk of water shortages, particularly this year.

The frozen water in the HKH is a critical source of freshwater for approximately 240 million people living in the region, while also benefiting around 1.65 billion individuals living downstream.

Snowmelt contributes roughly 23 per cent of the total water flow of 12 major river basins that originate high in the HKH.

Everywhere it is decreasing:

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