Himalayan snow hits 23-year low, water crisis looms for 2 billion lives

The Himalayas, often called the water tower of Asia, are running dry at the top.

A new report has found that snow cover across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, the long mountain stretch running from Afghanistan to Myanmar, has plunged to its lowest level in more than two decades, raising fears of a sweeping water crisis that could touch nearly two billion lives.

The Hindu Kush Himalaya recorded its lowest winter snow in over two decades, with snow persistence falling 27.8 per cent below average. (Photo: Reuters)

The HKH Snow Update 2026, released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), a regional research body based in Kathmandu, found that snow persistence between November 2025 and March 2026 was 27.8 per cent below the long-term average.

Snow persistence, in simple terms, refers to how long snow stays on the ground after it falls, a measure scientists use to track the winter health of the mountains.

WHY DOES HIMALAYAN SNOW MATTER SO MUCH?

Seasonal snow is not just a postcard image. It is a slow-release water bank.

The report notes that snowmelt feeds roughly one-fourth of the yearly water flow, known as runoff, across 12 major river basins fed by the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

Snowmelt from the Himalayas feeds nearly one-fourth of the annual water flow in 12 major river basins, sustaining farms, hydropower plants and city water supplies across Asia. (Photo: Reuters)

These rivers irrigate fields, run hydropower plants, and pour into the taps of cities from Kabul to Kolkata.

WHICH RIVERS ARE FACING THE BIGGEST SHORTAGE?

The slump has been uneven. The Mekong basin recorded the sharpest fall at 59.5 per cent below normal, while the Tibetan Plateau saw a 47.4 per cent deficit.

The Yellow River and Amu Darya basins also registered steep declines. There is, however, a sliver of good news for India.

The Yellow River at Yichuan County. (Photo: Reuters)

The Ganges basin recorded snow persistence which is 16.3 per cent above normal this winter, offering a temporary cushion for parts of north India.

IS THIS A ONE-OFF YEAR OR A LASTING TREND?

This is the fourth consecutive winter of below-normal snow, and since 2003, 14 winters have logged similar shortfalls.

This is the fourth consecutive winter of below-normal snow in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, with glaciers melting at twice the rate seen before the year 2000. (Photo: Reuters)

Glaciers, the frozen reservoirs of the range, are also melting at twice the rate seen before the year 2000, raising the prospect of long, dry summers across the wider region.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN NEXT?

Scientists are urging governments to step up early warning systems, store more water seasonally, and coordinate better between farming and power sectors.