Verma et al. (2026) Glacier mass balance in the Indian Himalayan Region: impacts on water resources, hazards, and mitigation

Identification

• Journal: Elsevier eBooks
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-01-01
• Authors: Akshaya Verma, Adarsh Padhi
• DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-443-36394-8.00006-6

Research Groups

National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand, India

Short Summary

This chapter reviews glacier mass balance studies in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), highlighting significant glacier shrinkage and its implications for water resources and hazards.

Objective

• To comprehensively review glacier mass balance studies conducted across the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), analyze the impact of climatic drivers, and discuss implications for future water sustainability.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), covering Western, Central, and Eastern Himalaya.
• Temporal Scale: From the 1970s to the 2020s (based on reviewed literature and Geological Survey of India reports).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: The chapter reviews studies that utilize various modeling approaches; specific models are not detailed.
• Data sources: Satellite observations (remote sensing), field-based measurements, historical datasets, and Geological Survey of India (GSI) reports.

Main Results

• Glaciers in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) consistently show negative mass balance trends, indicating significant retreat and ice loss, with the exception of the Karakoram Range ("Karakoram Anomaly").
• This widespread mass loss is linked to regional warming (e.g., Hindu Kush-Himalaya warmed by +0.28 °C/decade since the 1950s) and changing precipitation patterns.
• Projections suggest 70%–80% of Hindu Kush-Himalaya glacier ice could disappear by 2100 under high-emission scenarios.
• Glacier shrinkage in the IHR has serious implications for downstream water resources and increases the risk of hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), debris flows, rock-ice avalanches, and flash floods.

Contributions

• Provides a comprehensive synthesis of existing glacier mass balance studies in the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), integrating historical and recent data from various methodologies.
• Highlights regional variations in mass balance trends, including the "Karakoram Anomaly."
• Explicitly discusses the critical implications of glacier shrinkage for water resources, hazards, and future water sustainability in the region.

Funding

Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Verma2026Glacier,
  author = {Verma, Akshaya and Padhi, Adarsh},
  title = {Glacier mass balance in the Indian Himalayan Region: impacts on water resources, hazards, and mitigation},
  journal = {Elsevier eBooks},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/b978-0-443-36394-8.00006-6},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-443-36394-8.00006-6}
}