Time is Running Out, Scientists Warn Global "Ice Emergency" Locking in Sea Level Rise

Patna: Scientists have issued a stark warning, cautioning that a global "ice emergency" is underway, with devastating consequences poised to unfold. This crisis will lead to extensive inundation of cities such as Dhaka, Karachi, Shanghai, and Mumbai by 2050. The gravity of the situation was emphasised by scientists, policymakers, and experts who convened at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, representing one of the world's most climate-vulnerable regions. They called for an urgent acceleration of climate action and ambition.

"The total and irreversible loss of mountain glaciers around the world is about to be locked in unless immediate action is taken," remarked James Kirkham, Chief Scientific Adviser to the International Cryosphere Climate Initiative, during the summit. The event drew attendance from ministers, diplomats, senior policymakers, and experts from the eight-nation Hindu Kush Himalayan region and beyond.

Kirkham underscored the far-reaching consequences of this ice crisis, coupled with the catastrophic losses of ice in the Arctic and the Antarctic, urging global alarm. He warned that if current emissions trends persist, it will destabilise the climate system that has sustained Earth's habitability for millennia, ultimately submerging significant portions of Dhaka, Mumbai, Karachi, and Shanghai. Bangladesh alone could witness the displacement of 18 million refugees as soon as 2050 due to rising sea levels.

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, stressed the urgency of taking immediate action to prevent Earth from spiralling into an unsustainable state. "With two billion people relying on waters held in these mountains for their food and water security, all of us have a huge humanitarian weight on our shoulders at this moment," Gyamtsho asserted.

Scientists worldwide have been sounding the alarm about the catastrophic global repercussions of this year's record-breaking loss of snow and ice. They have warned of the potential for a substantial increase in hazards and the release of vast amounts of carbon and methane as permafrost thaws. Several key species, including the Asiatic bear, wild yak, snub-nosed monkey, and snow leopards, will experience significant habitat loss. Some amphibians and insects face local extinction unless immediate emissions reductions are implemented.

The scientists emphasised the critical need to study the Hindu Kush Himalaya's permafrost, which, if thawed, poses a growing threat of major hazards such as landslides. Furthermore, it could release significant quantities of carbon and methane, transforming a carbon sink into a carbon source. Currently, emissions from permafrost are equivalent to those of Japan, and with 3–4ºC of warming, this level would surpass the total emissions of China or the United States of America (USA).

"The emergency is already here for the snow and ice of the Hindu Kush Himalaya, at just 1.2ºC of warming," Gyamtsho declared. "We need to unite to help communities and governments prepare and adapt to the impacts of warming that have already been locked in. But we also need to speak with one voice—across the countries of this region, across the world's cryosphere zones, and across Earth's mountains—to call for world leaders to cut emissions to #SaveOurSnow."