Hindu Kush Himalayan region

The Hindu Kush Himalayan region spans across eight countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan.  It is known as the “Third Pole” as it contains the world’s third-largest storage of frozen water after Antarctica and Arctic. It is a critical watershed as it feeds 10 major river basins.

According to a new forecast, up to 2 billion people in Southeast Asia may face water and food shortages as the Hindu Kush Himalayan range is expected to lose up to two-third of its ice by 2100. This comes as the region is warming up at a rapid pace.