Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Glacier cumulative mass balance

Metres of water equivalent

5

0

Glacier thickness change Measured over different time ranges for each glacier

-5

25 Metres*

-10

-15

-20

Arctic Europe Andes

-25

Asia High Mountains Northwest USA and Southwest Canada Alaska and Coast Mountains Patagonia

-30

20

-35

-40

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000 2003

Source: Dyurgerov, M; Meier, M (2005) Glaciersand thechangingearthsystem:a2004snapshot . Boulder: Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University of Colorado

15

Temperature increased more in high altitude regions Plateau of Tibet

Temperature increase, ºC 1961–1990

10

Thickness reduction

0.30

Thickness increase

0.25

0.20

5

0.15

Elevation Metres

0.10

0 1 000 3 000 6 000

0.05

0

0m

1 000m

2 000m

3 000m

4 000m

Glacier

* Measures the geodetic thickness change between survey and reference year in metres of ice equivalent 0

Elevation

33

Source: Liu,X;Chen,B (2000) ‘ClimateWarming in theTibetanPlateauDuringRecentDecades’ InternationalJournalofClimatology 20:1729–1742