Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Snow Update Report 2025

Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) Snow Update Report 2025: The ICIMOD Report highlights severe decline in snow persistence in Ganga, Brahmaputra, and Indus basins.

• About HKH Snow Update Report 2025: Refers to the fraction of time snow remains on the ground after snowfall.
• Ganga Basin: Experienced a 23-year low in snow persistence at -24.1% in 2025.
• Indus Basin: Recorded a vicennial low snow persistence of -27.9% in 2025.
• Brahmaputra Basin: Steep decline in snow persistence from +27.7% (2019) to -27.9% (2025).
• Hindu Kush Himalayan region: Stretching over 3500 kilometres and across eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan.

o The Hindu Kush Himalaya are arguably the world’s most important ‘water tower’, being the source of ten of Asia’s largest rivers as well as the largest volume of ice and snow outside of the Arctic and Antarctica.

• International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development: It is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre working on behalf of the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), established and inaugurated in 1983 and headquarter at Kathmandu, Nepal.
• Mission: To build and share knowledge that drives regional policy and action and attracts investment that enables the diverse countries and communities of the HKH to transition to greener, more inclusive, and climate resilient development.
• Member countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan.