Status and Change Assessment of
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas
UN/Pakistan International. Workshop on
Integrated use of Space Technologies for Food and Water Security
14 March 2013, Islamabad, Pakistan. (UN-OOSA, ISNET, SUPARCO)
Samjwal Ratna Bajracharya
Sudan Maharjan, Finu Shrestha, G. Wanqin, Y. Xiaojun, W. Junfeng and L. Shiyin
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
ICIMOD
Kathmandu, Nepal
Contents
 Methodology
 Status of glaciers in the HKH region
 Observed glacier changes in the HKH region
 Glacier area loss
 Lesson Learnt
 Way Forward
Methodology
Semi-automatic glacier mapping
Status of Glaciers in the HKH
region (10 major basins)
Glacier Area in HKH: about 60,000Km2
Glacier Cover in HKH: 1.43%
Basins
Amu Darya
Indus
Ganga
Brahmaputra
Irrawaddy
Salween
Mekong
Yangtze
Yellow
Tarim
Interior
Total
Number Area (km2)
3,277
2,566
18,495
21,193
7,963
9,012
11,497
14,020
133
35
2,113
1,352
482
235
1,661
1,660
189
137
1,091
2,310
7,351
7,535
54,252
60,054
Glaciers in Indus basin
Basins
Glacier
Glacier
area
number
(km2)
Ice
reserves
(km3)
Kabul
1,601
183
Upper
Indus
11,413 15,062
Panjnad 5,481
Indus
1,722
4,409
18,495 21,193
2,174
340
2,697
0
Interior
Tarim
Yellow
Yangtze
Mekong
Salween
Irrawaddy
7,534.6
12.5
2,310.3
3.8
137.4
0.2
1,659.9
2.8
234.6
0.4
1,351.8
2.3
35.5
0.1
23.3
14,019.8
15,000
Brahmapu…
9,011.5
15.0
10,000
Ganges
30
20
10
0
Percentage (%)
20,000
35.3
21,192.7
25,000
Indus
2,566.2
4.3
5,000
Amu Darya
Glacier area (km2)
Glacier Area percentage in HKH
50
Glacier area
Glacier area percent
40
Interior
Tarim
Yellow
Yangtze
Mekong
Salween
Irrawaddy
Brahmaputra
Ganga
Indus
Amu Darya
Elevation (masl)
Glaciers - Elevation
9,000
8,000
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
3,000
2,000
Area-Elevation (Hypsometry)
9,000
8,000
Elevation (masl)
7,000
6,000
5,000
4,000
Indus
3,000
Ganga
Brahmaputra
2,000
0
200
400
600
Glacier area
800
(km2)
1000
1200
1400
1600
Distribution of Glaciers
Elevation - Area
Debris Cover (DC) Area
From the analysis of 32,000 km2 glacier area
(28,500 glaciers)
Debris Cover in:
HKH region
- 9.7%
Ganges
- 12.6%
Brahmaputra
- 11.06%
Indus
- 9.3%
Observed Changes in HKH
region
Observed Changes
Representative examples of glacier
changes in HKH region
A = Wakhan Corr., Afghanistan
B = Shyok basin, Pakistan
C = Imja Valley, Nepal
D = Lunana area, Bhutan
Retreat of glaciers: snout shift 100 to 125m in Lirung, Kimjung, and Yala glaciers in Langtang valley
Retreat of glaciers: snout shift in Imja valley
Decadal Change in Nepal from
1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010
8500
8000
7500
Elevation (masl)
7000
6500
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
1980
1990
3500
2000
2010
3000
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
Glacier area (km2)
350
400
450
Decadal Change in Nepal
8500
8000
7500
Elevation (masl)
7000
5800 masl
6500
6000
5500
5000
4500
4000
1990
3500
2010
2000
3000
0
50
100
150
200
250
Glacier area (km2)
300
350
400
Glacier delineations from landsat images
Hypsograph comparison from
1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010
7500
7000
Elevation (m asl)
6500
6000
5500
5000
4500
1980
1990
2000
2010
4000
3500
0
20
40
60
80
Glacier area (km2)
100
120
140
Hypsograph comparison from
1990, 2000 and 2010
7500
7000
Elevation (m asl)
6500
5400 masl
6000
5500
5000
4500
1990
2000
2010
4000
3500
0
20
40
60
80
Glacier area (km2)
100
120
Status of glaciers and decadal
glacier change in Jhelum Basin
Year
Pakistan
1980
1990
2000
2010
Year
India
1980
1990
2000
2010
Year
JHELUM
1980
1990
2000
2010
Glacier Number
Highest Elevation
(m)
477
477
486
487
6285
6285
6285
6285
Glacier Number
Highest Elevation
(m)
340
346
359
359
5236
5236
5275
5259
Glacier Number
Highest Elevation
(m)
817
823
845
846
6285
6285
6285
6285
Lowest Elevation
(m)
3520
3520 7m
3520
3527
Lowest Elevation
(m)
3573
74m
3573
3542
3647
Lowest Elevation
(m)
3520
3520 74m
3520
3527
Glacier Area
(sq km)
Ice Reserve
(cu km)
159.20 35km2
148.33 22%
129.08
124.53
Glacier Area
(sq km)
109.37
99.82
91.75
86.63
Ice Reserve
(cu km)
23km2
21%
Glacier Area
(sq km)
268.57
248.15
220.83
211.16
6.64
6.14
5.25
5.04
4.32
3.89
3.56
3.31
Ice Reserve
(cu km)
57km2
21%
10.96
10.04
8.82
8.36
Status of Glaciers in Jhelum Basin
in 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2010
Glacier
Number
Highest
Elevation
(m)
Lowest
Elevation
(m)
1980
817
6285
3520
2765
268.57
10.96
1990
823
6285
3520
2765
248.15
2000
845
6285
3520
2765
2010
846
6285
3527
2758
Year
Gr. Nr + 3.5%
Diff Elv.
Glacier
Area
(sq.km.)
Ice Reserve
(cu.km.)
Area % Loss
1980- 1990
7.6
10.04
1990- 2000
11.0
220.83
8.82
2000-2010
4.4
211.16
8.36
900
800
700
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
1980
Glacier Number
1990 Glacier Area
(sq.km.)
2000
Ice Reserve
(cu.km.)
2010
21.4
Lessons Learnt and
Way Forward
Identify HOT SPOT area
Access to the better quality satellite images
for regular monitoring
Repeat Inventory of Glaciers in 5/10 Years
Quick methodology for glacier mapping and
monitoring
Way forward
Use better quality satellite images to identify the
hot spot area and regular monitoring of glaciers
Development of quick methodology for monitoring
of glaciers
Snow and glacier melt runoff modeling for water
availability