Excellencies, distinguished delegates, colleagues,
It is an honour to represent the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development — ICIMOD — at this High-Level Conference on Glacier Preservation. We extend our sincere thanks to the Government of Tajikistan for their warm hospitality and commend their leadership – alongside the many countries and organisations represented here - in bringing global attention to this urgent and escalating crisis.
ICIMOD serves eight Regional Member Countries that span the vast expanse that is the Hindu Kush Himalaya — Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, and is headquartered and hosted by the Government of Nepal in Kathmandu. Often called the Third Pole, this region holds the largest ice reserves outside the Arctic and Antarctic. It is home to over 240 million people and supports water, food, and energy security for more than 2 billion people downstream.
Yet the cryosphere here – as we have heard from so many delegates already - is degrading at alarming rates, due to warming, unsustainable development, and environmental degradation. Even under the most optimistic emissions scenarios, up to two-thirds of glacier volume could be lost by 2100. Peak water is projected around mid-century—just 25 years from now—after which flows will decline. The implications of these changes for regional – even global - stability are unthinkable.
Over 200 glacial lakes are now classified as potentially dangerous—particularly in Nepal, Bhutan, northern India, and Pakistan—posing serious risks to lives and infrastructure. These are no longer future threats. The science is clear. But the response is still far too limited.
At ICIMOD, we know no single country can address this alone. Glaciers cross borders!
That is why – at ICIMOD - we work regionally to generate evidence, support decisions, and enable action. But we need stronger collaboration and far greater investment.
We urge prioritisation in five areas:
1. On Science and Risk Assessment
- Expand and sustain systematic cryosphere monitoring—including glaciers, permafrost, and high-risk glacial lakes—through in-situ observations, satellite data, and modelling. Only about 38 of the region’s 54,000 glaciers are currently monitored—far too few to support long-term planning and risk reduction.
- Strengthen trans- and interdisciplinary research and multi-hazard risk assessments, using improved tools to translate science into policy and planning.
- Build regional capacity through education, training, and field programmes to equip the next generation of cryosphere scientists—while also creating career incentives to retain skilled professionals in the region.
2. On Inclusive Adaptation and Resilient Infrastructure
- Invest in early warning systems, glacial lake drainage, water-efficient technologies, and resilient infrastructure to reduce risks from glacier melt and permafrost thaw.
- Ensure adaptation finance reaches the most exposed and under-resourced communities.
3. On Community Engagement and Indigenous Knowledge
- Engage mountain communities as citizen scientists and partners in monitoring and planning.
- Integrate Indigenous and local knowledge into formal policies and strategies.
4. On Policy Integration
- Mainstream glacier and permafrost loss into national climate, water, agriculture, and disaster strategies.
- Align policies and budgets with the vulnerabilities of high-risk mountain regions.
5. On Regional and International Cooperation
- Strengthen cross-border coordination for hazard response, data sharing, and joint planning.
- Recognise glacier loss in broader development and economic strategies.
The time for fragmented, reactive action is over. We must shift:
- From discussion to delivery
- From research alone to applied response
- From ambition to accountability
The HKH is critical to the stability and resilience of a large part of the world. Glacier preservation is not just an environmental concern—it is a core economic development issue.
ICIMOD stands ready to work with you all—to act decisively, at scale, and with the urgency this crisis demands.