Major Himalayan Rivers Will See Their Flows Reduced As Glaciers Recede, Says UN chief

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has raised a major concern about the Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra, all hugely important for India. He has warned that these water bodies could witness reductions in their flows as glaciers and ice sheets recede over the coming decades due to global warming.

Reuters

"Glaciers are critical to all life on earth. Over centuries, they carved out the landmasses we call home. Today, they cover 10 per cent of our world. Glaciers are also the world's water towers," Guterres said in his remarks at an event on the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation Wednesday.

'Canary in the coalmine'

Guterres highlighted that human activity is driving the planet's temperature to dangerous new levels and "melting glaciers are the canary in the coalmine".

Antarctica is losing an average of 150 billion tons of ice mass yearly, while the Greenland ice cap is melting even faster ¡ª losing 270 billion tonnes annually.

In Asia, 10 major rivers originate in the Himalayan region, supplying freshwater to 1.3 billion people living in its watershed. "As glaciers and ice sheets continue to recede over the coming decades, major Himalayan rivers like the Indus, the Ganges and the Brahmaputra will feel the impact ¨C seeing their flows reduced," Guterres said, adding the world has already witnessed how Himalayan melts have worsened flooding in Pakistan.

Representational Image/ AP

He added that rising sea levels combined with saltwater intrusion will decimate large parts of these huge deltas.

UN 2023 Water Conference

The event was held on the margins of the UN 2023 Water Conference ¨C formally known as the 2023 Conference for the Midterm Comprehensive Review of Implementation of the UN Decade for Action on Water and Sanitation (2018-2028) ¨C currently underway at UN Headquarters.

Co-hosted by Tajikistan and the Netherlands, the March 22-24 conference will result in a summary of proceedings from the UNGA President that will feed into the 2023 session of the UN High-level Political Forum on Sustainable Development.

"The first UN water conference in a generation, the UN 2023 Water Conference, co-hosted by the Governments of Tajikistan and the Netherlands will be a watershed moment to mobilize Member States, the UN system and stakeholders alike to take action and bring successful solutions to a global scale," the UN has said.

Guterres cited data by the World Meteorological Organization that warned that global average sea levels have already risen faster since 1900 than over any preceding century in the last 3,000 years.

AFP/ Representational Image

"Unless we reverse this trend, the consequences will be catastrophic. Low-lying communities and entire countries could be erased forever. We would witness mass movements of entire populations ¡ª and fierce competition for water and land," he said, adding that disasters would accelerate worldwide ¡ª including floods, droughts and landslides.

UN chief wants countries to act as one

Guterres called on all countries to act as one to protect people and communities alike, emphasizing the urgent need to limit global warming to 1.5 degree rise to avert the worst impacts of climate change.

"We urgently need to reduce emissions, enhance adaptation measures, and ensure climate justice. And developing countries must have the resources to adapt and build resilience against climate disaster," he said.

He urged the international community to invest in climate-resilient buildings, infrastructure, water pipelines, and policies that conserve precious water resources and their ecosystems for the future.

He stressed the need to build institutional capacities and integrate risk reduction measures to ensure that lifesaving early warning systems protect every person in the world against hazardous climate or weather events by 2027.

Three out of four natural disasters linked to water

In his remarks to the conference's opening Wednesday, Guterres lamented that "we've broken the water cycle, destroyed ecosystems and contaminated groundwater".

Nearly three out of four natural disasters are linked to water, one in four people lives without safely managed water services or clean drinking water and over 1.7 billion people lack basic sanitation. He pointed out that half a billion practice open defecation and millions of women and girls spend hours fetching water daily.

He said he has proposed to the G20 a Climate Solidarity Pact in which all big emitters make extra efforts to cut emissions, and wealthier countries mobilize financial and technical resources to support emerging economies.

India is currently the President of the G20.

(With inputs from PTI)

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