The glaciers of the Hindu Kush Himalayas: current status and observed changes from the 1980s to 2010

Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya*, Sudan Bikash Maharjan, Finu Shrestha, Wanqin Guo, Shiyin Liu, Walter Immerzeel, Basanta Shrestha

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

Abstract

The fate of the Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers has been a topic of heated debate due to their rapid melting and retreat. The underlying reason for the debate is the lack of systematic large-scale observations of the extent of glaciers in the region owing to the high altitude, remoteness of the terrain, and extreme climatic conditions. Here we present a remote sensing–based comprehensive assessment of the current status and observed changes in the glacier extent of the Hindu Kush Himalayas. It reveals highly heterogeneous, yet undeniable impacts of climate change.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)161-173
Number of pages13
JournalInternational Journal of Water Resources Development
Volume31
Issue number2
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 3 Apr 2015

Keywords

  • decadal
  • glacier area changes
  • Landsat
  • remote sensing

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