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Hydrology

Asian glaciers are a reliable water source

Nature volume 545, pages 161–162 (2017)Cite this article

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The people, economies and agriculture of central Asia and parts of south Asia rely on water from mountains. Modelling suggests that glacier melt, in particular, is a key water source during dry periods in some of these regions. See Article p.169

Water availability is fundamental to food production, the economy, hydropower and the public health of any country. However, supplying water is challenging in central and parts of south Asia, whose economies depend heavily on agriculture1. Climate change could further exacerbate water shortages in these regions. On page 169, Pritchard2 reports that glaciers are essential sources of fresh water in the western river basins of the high-mountain Asia region (those located in Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang in northwestern China), particularly during droughts. These regions receive little precipitation during summer, when water demand for irrigation is highest. The new findings raise questions about water security in Asia, given that global warming is projected to continue.

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Figure 1: The Hunza Valley in the Karakoram mountains.

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  1. Department of Geography, University of Zurich, Zurich, 8057, Switzerland

    Tobias Bolch

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  1. Tobias Bolch
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Correspondence to Tobias Bolch.

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Bolch, T. Asian glaciers are a reliable water source. Nature 545, 161–162 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/545161a

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