At least a third of the huge ice fields in Asia’s towering mountain chain are doomed to melt due to climate change, according to a landmark report, with serious consequences for almost 2 billion people. Until recently the impact of climate change on the ice in the HKH region was uncertain, said Wester. The HKH region runs from Afghanistan to Myanmar and is the planet’s “third pole”, harbouring more ice than anywhere outside Arctic and Antarctica. This is felt to be extremely optimistic by many but still sees a third of the ice lost, according to the report. Since the 1970s, about 15% of the ice in the HKH region has disappeared as temperatures have risen.

Source: The Guardian February 04, 2019 11:45 UTC