Glacier mass will decrease by 20% to 40% by 2050, affecting the lives of about 750 million people in the region. The reason for this is the warming of the climate, the UN's World Meteorological Organization said in its annual report.
According to the experts, Asia suffered its hottest year on record in 2020. The average temperature last year was 1.39 degrees higher than in 1981-2010.
"Glacier retreat is accelerating, and it is projected that glacier mass will decrease by 20 percent to 40 percent by 2050, affecting the lives and livelihoods of about 750 million people in the region," the report said.
The World Meteorological Organization notes that the area of glaciers in Asia is about 100 thousand square kilometers, and this is the largest volume of ice outside the Earth's polar regions. The glaciers feed the ten largest rivers in Asia.
