From Sagarmatha (Mount Everest) in the Nepal Himalayas to the shores of small island States, vanishing glaciers are setting in motion development risks that extend far beyond the m
ountains. Accelerated glacier and ice-cap melt in high-mountain regions are disrupting glacier-fed river systems that sustain hundreds of millions of people and is contributing directly to rising sea levels worldwide. Together, these interconnected processes are reshaping water security, food systems, ecosystems, and human settlements across Asia and the Pacific, placing lives and livelihoods at increasing risk and narrowing the development choices available to future generations.
Background
Scientific evidence confirms that glaciers and ice caps are experiencing unprecedented and accelerating rates of loss as global temperatures rise. In Asia and the Pacific, glacier retreat in high-mountain regions such as the Himalayas is fundamentally altering hydrological systems that sustain hundreds of millions of people, while also contributing directly to global sea-level rise.
These interconnected processes manifest along a continuum, from upstream impacts on river flows, agriculture, and ecosystems to downstream and coastal impacts on settlements, infrastructure, freshwater availability, and the territorial integrity of small island States. Together, vanishing glaciers and rising seas represent some of the most significant slow-onset climate risks facing the region.