Back to news
21 Apr 2025 | Press releases

Risk of water shortages builds-up as Hindu Kush Himalaya faces 23-year-record-low snow persistence in the third consecutive year of below-normal seasonal snow

SNOW UPDATE REPORT 2025

4 mins Read

70% Complete

According to the latest Snow Update Report, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region experienced its third consecutive below-normal snow year in 2025, with snow persistence – the fraction of time snow is on the ground after snowfall–hitting a vicennial record low of – 23.6%. This is worrying news for water security of nearly two billion people across 12 major river basins that originate high in the HKH.

Launching the 2025 Snow Update report, Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD’s Director General, emphasised the need for proactive policy actions in building long-term resilience to exacerbating snow anomalies: “Carbon emissions have already locked in an irreversible course of recurrent snow anomalies in the HKH. To tackle this regional snow crisis and the challenges it creates for long-term food, water and energy resilience, we urgently need to embrace a paradigm shift toward science-based, forward-looking policies and foster renewed regional cooperation for transboundary water management and emissions mitigation.”

On average, seasonal snowmelt contributes about a fourth of the total annual runoff of these rivers, with the share gradually rising from the rivers in the east to those in the west of the region. Despite such basin-wise differences in the dependency on seasonal snowmelt, continued deficit of seasonal meltwater, in general, means lesser river runoffs and early-summer water stress, especially for downstream communities, already reeling under premature and intensifying heat spells across the region.

According to Sher Muhammad, Remote Sensing Specialist at ICIMOD and the lead expert for Snow report 2025: “We are observing such deficit situations occurring in continuous succession. This is an alarming trend. While our findings give broad picture across the region, each must act based on the specific conditions of their river basins, particularly where seasonal snow melt is the major water source.

While the level of deficit in snow persistence in the western river basins, this year, has been less compared to the last year, it provides no respite from the existing water stress in these areas. Seasonal snowmelt is critical for water supply in these basins. So, persisting below-normal snowfall and reduced melt rate will only worsen water availability.

On the other hand, the eastern river basins, which experienced near normal snow persistence last year, face deficits up to 50% below normal. Although seasonal snow contributes less to total meltwater here, around 15% drop in persistence of seasonal snow could still impact downstream communities, especially in the mountains and Tibetan Plateau, where annual snow conditions are generally erratic.”

The report reveals the most alarming declines in snow persistence in the Mekong (-51.9%) and Salween (-48.3%) basins, followed by the Tibetan Plateau (-29.1%), the Brahmaputra (-27.9%), Yangtze (-26.3%), and the Ganges (-24.1%) basins.

Monitoring a 23-year timeseries (from 2003 to 2025) of basin-scale snow persistence during the snow season between November and March, the report shows recurrent seasonal deficits, coupled with severe yearly fluctuations. Moreso, over the last five years.

Yellow River Basin: From a high of +98.2% in 2008 to a low of -54.1% in 2023, the basin continues facing deficits, albeit at -18.6% in 2025. Such sustained deficits strain agriculture, hydropower, and water availability. 

Yangtze Basin: 2025 saw a -26.3% snow persistence—the sixth lowest in 23 years. Steadily declining snowpack jeopardises hydropower efficiency of the Three Gorges dam. 

Mekong Basin: 2025 saw a record low snow persistence of -51.9%, down from a peak of +80.3% in 2019. Severe fluctuations risk disrupting hydropower and agriculture.

Salween Basin: Here also, snow persistence showed steep fluctuations from a highest of +41.9% in 2020 to the lowest of -48.3% in 2025.

Brahmaputra Basin: Snow persistence peaked in 2019 at +27.7% but steadily dropped to -27.9% in 2025. This continued decline poses risks to hydropower generation and agriculture, especially in early summer, calling for integrated drought risk planning. 

Tibetan Plateau: Snow persistence in the Plateau plummeted from a +92.4% in 2022 to -29.1% in 2025. These extreme changes highlight the plateau’s climate sensitivity. 

Tarim Basin: Snow persistence peaked at +28.7% in 2006 and dropped to -26.9% in 2024, while 2025 records -4%. This basin has seen six consecutive years of below-normal snow, raising long-term concerns for reliable water availability.

Ganges Basin: Basin recorded highest snow persistence at +30.2% in 2015, but it dropped to the 23-year lowest of -24.1% in 2025. This would likely reduce flows in early summer .

Indus Basin: From a high of +19.5% in 2020, the basin experienced a steep drop in snow persistence to -24.5% in 2024, its vicennial lowest. In 2025, the basin recorded snow persistence anomaly at -16%. This sustained deficit threatens early summer water supply for nearly 300 million people, calling for urgent water management strategies. 

Helmand Basin: After a record low of -45.0% in 2018, and a peak at +49.2% in 2020, 2025 saw a relatively moderate deficit at -15.2%. Persistent deficits, however, aggravate Afghanistan’s water stress and socioeconomic vulnerabilities. 

Amu Darya Basin: Snow persistence peaked at +40.4% in 2008 but dropped to -31.9% in 2024. In 2025, it was recorded at -18.8%, ranking the fourth lowest in the last 23 years. This consistent deficit in seasonal snow will threaten downstream water availability.

Experts of the report emphasis immediate need for basin-level targeted actions toward adaptive water resource management for mitigating forthcoming impacts of water shortages on agriculture, hydropower generation, and other vital ecosystem services.

Investing in adaptive infrastructure like seasonal storage systems and enhancing efficient use of meltwater, developing national preparedness and response plans for negative snow anomaly and drought conditions, integrating snow anomaly information into national water strategies for hydropower, agriculture, and allied sectors, and disseminating snow anomaly statistics to strengthen evidence-based decision making and sectoral coordination, are some of the key action areas recommended in the report.

Download the report: Link


For media inquiries, please contact:

Neraz Tuladhar (Raz), Media Officer
Email: media@icimod.org

22 Mar 2025 Press releases
Urgent action needed on black carbon: a key driver of glacier melt and monsoon disruption

Figure 1 | Regional contribution to black carbon emissions with 60% of emissions in South Asia coming from residential combustion ...

27 Mar 2016 Press releases
More power for women in water decisions needed

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Dr Tira Foran, CSIRO speaks at the opening of ...

17 Apr 2025 Press releases
US$10 million awarded to enhance climate resilience in Bangladesh’s Chattogram Hill Tracts

Kathmandu, 16 April 2025 – The Adaptation Fund Board has approved the Green, Resilient, and Adaptive CHT Economy (GRACE) – Local Climate Adaptive ...

3 Dec 2017 Press releases
MOPE and ICIMOD host international conference on resilience

More than four hundred experts in Kathmandu to discuss solutions for mountain communities Four hundred experts from around the world are ...

5 Jun 2023 Press releases
山区居民、登山者和科学家在珠峰敲响警钟,倡议世界各国领袖们立即迈向脱碳之路

距人类首登世界之巅已70年,而气候紧急情况发生在此:在兴都库什-喜马拉雅区域内,三分之二的冰川预计将在本世纪末消失。 领先的山地机构国际山地综合发展中心(ICIMOD)、尼泊尔登山协会(NMA)和山区伙伴关系(Mountain Partnership) 呼吁全世界来拯救地球上的冰雪,以避免为时过晚。 #“拯救我们的雪”宣言在最初48小时内就收集到1000多个签名,其中包括新西兰前总理、各国外交官、传奇登山者和著名地球科学家。 尼泊尔加德满都讯(2023 年 5 月 29 日)——七十年前的今天,在埃德蒙·希拉里爵士和丹增·诺尔盖首次登上珠峰 ; 70 年后的今天,地球上最高的山峰正在经历由全球变暖引起的前所未有且基本不可逆的变化。 全球变暖正在危及珠峰与兴都库什-喜马拉雅地区的环境,该地区横跨八个国家,约长3500公里。根据目前的排放情况,科学家预计在未来70年内,该地区三分之二的冰川或将消融。 国际山地综合发展中心(ICIMOD)在包括 尼泊尔登山协会 和 山区伙伴关系(联合国自愿伙伴联盟)在内的全球山地机构的支持下,呼吁公众支持 #拯救我们的雪(#SaveOurSnow)运动。该运动要求公众: 在社交平台分享来自世界各地山区的故事和照片,使用#SaveOurSnow 标签 强调气候影响; 在网址 icimod.org/saveoursnow/declaration/ 签署一份宣言,呼吁各国政府兑现将升温限制在 1.5 ...

16 May 2023 Press releases
New fire risk system rolled out as forest fires up by 76.7% in Nepal

Kathmandu, 15 May 2023: Forest fires across Nepal dramatically rose by 76.5% between January and April 2023 – when compared ...

30 Sep 2015 Press releases
Design manual launched to support the construction of stronger and cleaner brick kilns in Nepal

The “Design Manual for Improved Fixed Chimney Zig-Zag Brick Kilns” has been released by Honorable Minister Mahesh Basnet, Ministry of ...