The Himalayan glaciers supply water for much of South and Southeast Asia. The glaciers’ runoff flow through the tributaries that reach the nations in these regions.
The Himalayas are often considered the earth’s “third pole” for the 600 billion tons of ice it holds.
The problem is that these glaciers, like most globally, are melting faster than has ever been recorded due to climate change.
This continuous melt will add stress to already noted water management problems in the region.
The Hill’s article, “Melting glaciers could destabilize Asia“, reports:
“Finding water management solutions downstream from the Himalayas is no simple prospect. Multilateral water management bodies such as the Mekong River Commission have a mixed record, and China, in particular, continues to have bilateral preference agreements over regional deal-making. As a result, upstream water infrastructure is often developed without basin-level impacts in mind, leading to unintended downstream consequences that are difficult to manage — particularly in the rapidly melting glaciers.”
It is a case of a need for people to adapt to new environmental realities, particularly concerning cultivating water-dependent crops, such as rice.
Tensions have already started to arise in nations that depend upon the Himalayas for their water supply.
They will need much diplomacy and negotiations to establish a mutually agreeable sharing of water resources between these nations. Individual countries will have to include the water demand and supply factors in their water infrastructure management planning.
Public education around water conservation and preservation of natural resources may also be part of the solution.
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