Abstract
The cryosphere is defined by the presence of frozen water in its many forms: glaciers, ice caps, ice sheets, snow, permafrost, and river and lake ice. In the extended Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, including the Pamirs, Tien Shan and Alatua, the cryosphere is a key freshwater resource, playing a vital and significant role in local and regional hydrology and ecology. Industry, agriculture, and hydroelectric power generation rely on timely and sufficient delivery of water in major river systems; changes in the cryospheric system may thus pose challenges for disaster risk reduction in the extended HKH region.
Original language | English |
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Title of host publication | The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment |
Subtitle of host publication | Mountains, Climate Change, Sustainability and People |
Editors | P. Wester, A. Mishra, A. Mukherji, A. B. Shrestha |
Publisher | Springer |
Chapter | 7 |
Pages | 209-255 |
ISBN (Electronic) | 978-3-319-92288-1 |
ISBN (Print) | 978-3-319-92287-4, 978-3-319-95051-8 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Jan 2019 |