Warm and drier climatic conditions increase the Himalayan snow line, leading to more frequent forest fires and water shortage.
What’s going on?
Satellite images reveal that the elevation in which snow accumulates on the Himalayan mountains increases at abnormal rates. According to NASA Earth ObservatoryThe higher snow lines have been about scientists since the beginning of 2021. Between December 11, 2024 and January 28 of this year, the snow line has increased by almost 500 feet, demonstrating how speed it changes.
According to Mauri Pelto, Glaciologist at Nichols College, “the only year recently when the snow lines in January were close to the typical levels was 2022.” He referred to the high snow lines in January 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025 as potentially “new normal”.
In addition, it is suspected of a large part of the disappearance of the snow is due to sublimationDo not melt. This means that more snow evaporates in the air, instead of turning to water and running in the mountains. As the Earth’s Observatory described it, the snow is almost “disappeared in the air”.
What does the higher Himalayan snow line mean?
Scientists are alarmed by the upward snow line, which can cause a higher risk of forest fires and a reduction in water supply for neighboring communities.
According to the Nepalese weatherThe Nepal forest fire season started at the start of this year. This is due to prolonged winter droughts, which means winters with abnormally low snow bag.
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Here The specialist in the cryosphere Sher Muhammad, author of the 2024 snow update report, explained: “This is an alarm clock for researchers, decision -makers and downstream communities: a lower snow accumulation and fluctuating snow levels poses a very serious risk of water shortage, in particular this year.”
These water shortages can also cause crop failures, which means that communities are also faced with food shortages.
Although abnormal weather conditions occur naturally, this persistent lack of snowpack is a disturbing trend. Rather than isolated meteorological event, these dry and hot winters have become a diagram covering four years. Many experts attribute super storms, bombs cyclones, atmospheric rivers and other extreme meteorological events to the rapid overheating planet.
What can we do on the upward snow line?
Communities must rethink the way they manage the water and prepare for a higher risk of fire to fight against the shortage of water.
The main specialist in the Cryosphere of ICimod, Miriam Jackson, explained: “It is clear that governments and residents of this region need urgent support to help them adapt to changes in snow models that carbon emissions have already locked.”
She continued: “G20 countries must reduce emissions faster than ever to avoid even more changes that will prove to be disastrous for the main population centers and industries that depend on snow in the mountains.”
Azenuating the overheating planet is the best way to stop the rising snow line and restore a more coherent snowpack. This means reducing carbon pollution, supporting sustainable agriculture and focusing on the creation of new forms of renewable energy.
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