Most of the glaciers in the highlands of the Central Asian countries may melt by the end of the century. Scientists came to this conclusion based on the fact that the area of glaciers is shrinking by one percent every year, Sputnik reports.
"On the one hand, glaciers are the clearest indicator of climate change. But on the other hand, they are one of the main sources of clean water in Central Asian countries. Together with meltwater and snow, glaciers account for at least 80 percent of renewable water resources. Therefore, shrinking glaciers is a serious problem for Central Asia," says Russian expert Takir Baliqboyev.
If the melting of the glaciers continues at the same rate, by the end of the century, a significant part of them may disappear. This is expected to lead to water, environmental, and food stress in Central Asia.
Experts say that melting glaciers is a global problem, and there are many reasons for this. Global warming is one of them.
"To deeply study and solve the problem, it is necessary for all countries to unite," scientists believe.
Recent studies have shown that up to 15mn people are at risk of severe flooding. People in Asia and South America are more prone to such floods. About a million people in Asia live only 10 kilometers away from a glacial lake. Over half of those at risk live in India, Pakistan, Peru, and China.
Earlier, the President of Tajikistan, Emomali Rahmon, said that by the end of the 21st century, the number of glaciers worldwide could decrease by one-third.
"In the last 50 years alone, more than a thousand glaciers have completely melted in Tajikistan, and the total volume of the country's glaciers has decreased by almost a third," he said.
The politician noted that during this period, the indicator of clean water per capita in the world decreased by 2.5 times and in the Central Asian region by four times. In this regard, the politician called for consistent and concerted efforts to reduce the average air temperature.
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