India, March 21 -- Glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice loss rates doubling since 2000, according to two landmark reports released on Saturday by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) to mark World Glacier Day.

The reports - Changing Dynamics of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya Region from 1990 to 2020 and HKH Glacier Outlook 2026: Insights from 50 Years of Himalayan Glacier Monitoring - present the most comprehensive evidence yet of glacier change in the region. They indicate a total loss of up to 27 metres of ice thickness since 1975, raising serious concerns for nearly two billion people downstream who depend on meltwater from the "Water Towers o...