The Pandemic’s Impact on Glaciers: How Carbon Emissions Threaten Water Supplies in Asia

The pandemic has brought attention to the impact of restricted movement on people’s passions. This has led to a growing concern about the threat of global warming on the Himalayan mountain glaciers. Unless carbon dioxide emissions are controlled, there is a risk of complete melting of these glaciers in this century. Even if the climate warms below one and a half degrees, a third of the glaciers could still disappear, with melting continuing at some pace due to the long-lasting effects of carbon dioxide in the air.

The Himalayas and Tibetan highlands are crucial for preserving glaciers and the snow that feeds them, as they are the source of ten major rivers in Asia. The snow melting in the spring provides water for about half of the annual needs of four billion people. Reduction of air pollution, particularly black carbon or soot, could slow down the rate of snow loss significantly.

Research by Indian, German, and British scientists published in the Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics journal revealed that reducing soot levels to those observed during the pandemic lockdown could have a positive effect on slowing down snow melting in the Himalayas by up to half. The cleanliness of the air during the pandemic lockdown in South Asia reduced transportation over mountain ranges leading to lighter and less heat-absorbent snow surfaces which helped preserve snow during spring and slowed down melting rate.

Protection of snow cover is crucial for glacier preservation as it helps slow down melting process and formation new ice which is important for maintaining water supply for billions