Melting glaciers in Central Asia threaten mountain region with a shortage of water, reported AFP, quoted by BTA.
At an altitude of almost 4,000 meters in Kyrgyzstan, researcher Gulbara Omorova points to a pile of rock debris: “This was a glacier, but it is now completely gone“.
„Until it melted three or four years ago, it was quite an impressive glacier, with snow even in the middle of summer,” the glaciologist told AFP in the heart of the Tianshan mountain system, which stretches across Central Asia.
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Glaciers act as water towers that are critical to the food security of Central Asians by feeding rivers, especially during months when there is no rainfall. But these vital supplies of fresh water are inevitably dwindling in this arid landlocked region.
„The glaciers cannot recover because of the rising temperatures,”, adds Omorova, who made the six-hour trek from the highest scientific station in Central Asia, which is modest but extremely important for the still insufficient research of the glaciers.
A little further on, Gulbara Omorova points to a glacier that recedes by about 16 meters every year.
The trend in the region is similar. According to a report by the Eurasian Development Bank, between 14% and 30% of the Tienshan and Pamir glaciers - the two main mountain ranges in Central Asia - have melted over the past 60 years.
The data collected by Omorova is disturbing, considering that according to the projections of the EU Climate Change Office “Copernicus” 2024 is the hottest year on record.