The Ganga Basin records the lowest snow persistence in 23 Years according to a recent research from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). This is a concerning sign of declining snowfall throughout the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. According to the HKH Snow Update 2025, which was made public on Monday, the Ganga Basin’s snow persistence has drastically decreased from 30.2 per cent in 2015 to a startling –24.1 per cent in 2025. Nearly two billion people rely on the HKH’s river systems for their water supply, and this is the third year in a row that the region has seen below-normal snowfall. The analysis cautions that the continuous decrease in snowfall will probably result in a much lower water flow during the crucial summer months, worsening problems for residential water supply, hydropower, and agriculture in South and Central Asia.

A Regional Crisis Unfolding

Nearly ten major Asian river systems, including the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra, are fed by the 3,500-kilometre Hindu Kush Himalaya, which spans eight countries: India, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Bhutan, Bangladesh, China, Nepal, and Myanmar. It is an essential lifeline for the region. All twelve of the region’s major river basins had a general decrease in snow cover, according to the HKH Snow Update 2025. The Mekong and Salween basins are particularly severely affected, where snow cover losses have topped 50%. This concerning pattern, which has been going on for three years, highlights how quickly climate change is affecting the cryosphere in the area. Since melting snow gives rivers a constant flow during the warmer months, snow persistence—a measurement of how long snow stays on the ground—is a crucial predictor of water availability. The report’s conclusions portend an impending catastrophe for the millions of people who depend on these rivers for electricity production, drinking water, and agriculture.

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Implications for Water Security

The decrease in snow persistence seriously threatens water security for about two billion people in the HKH region. The Ganga Basin, which sustains hundreds of millions of people in Bangladesh and India, is especially at risk since less snowfall would probably result in lower river flows throughout the summer when demand for residential and agricultural uses is at its highest. The paper stressed that the 800-kilometre-long Hindu Kush mountain range, which stretches from eastern Afghanistan to north-western Pakistan and far south-eastern Tajikistan, shows previously unheard-of alterations in its snow patterns. These changes endanger not just the supply of water but also the stability of ecosystems and businesses that rely on steady river flows. For example, farmers may struggle to irrigate crops during the busiest growing seasons, and hydropower generation—a vital energy source in nations like Nepal and Bhutan—may experience difficulties.

To address the underlying reasons for decreasing snowfall, such as global warming and regional environmental degradation, the ICIMOD report urges immediate action. It also emphasises the need for better water management techniques to lessen the effects of less snowfall. The stakes are higher than ever as the HKH region experiences below-normal snow cover for the third year. Ganga Basin Records Lowest Snow Persistence in 23 Years, and the repercussions could spread throughout South and Central Asia, impacting future generations’ livelihoods, food security, and regional stability without coordinated efforts to adapt to these changes.

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