Is ice in the Himalayas more resilient to climate change than we thought?

Abstract

ABSTRACT In the Himalaya, climate change threatens mountain water resources as glaciers melt and changes in runoff and water availability are likely to have considerable negative impacts on ecological and human systems. While much has been written on the effect of climate change on glaciers in the Himalaya and its impact on sustainability, almost nothing has been published on rock glaciers in the region and their role in maintaining water supplies as the climate warms. Rock glaciers are important components of the Himalayan hydrological system because they are present in almost all regions of the Himalaya and are climatically more resilient than other glacier types owing to an insulating layer of debris cover. Research from other mountain regions shows that they contain potentially important water stores, although in the Himalaya, there is almost no information on their number, spatial distribution and response to future climate change. The extent to which this contributes to higher resilience of the Himalayan cryosphere as a whole is still an open question. This paper argues that research into Himalayan rock glaciers that reveals their hydrological significance is critical for underpinning climate change adaptation strategies and to ensure that this highly populated region is in a strong position to meet sustainable development goals.