The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has released a report titled 'Glacier Systems and Seasonal Snow Cover in Six Major Asian River Basins: Hydrological Role under Changing Climate.' The report assesses the hydrological role of the meltwater resources in the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Syr Darya, Amu Darya and Mekong river basins.
8 July 2013: The International Water Management Institute (IWMI) has released a report, titled ‘Glacier Systems and Seasonal Snow Cover in Six Major Asian River Basins: Hydrological Role under Changing Climate.’ The report assesses the hydrological role of the meltwater resources in the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Syr Darya, Amu Darya and Mekong river basins.
The report finds that while meltwater contributes to annual streamflow in different proportions in various river basins, the share of the non-renewable component of glacial runoff increased from 16-30% in all basins to 26-46% across the basins represented in the study. However, the study also demonstrates that climate change related decrease in glaciers and snow cover will not heavily impact the mean annual flow, but will affect seasonality.
IWMI is a member of the Consultative Group on International Agriculture Research (CGIAR). [Publication: Glacier Systems and Seasonal Snow Cover in Six Major Asian River Basins: Hydrological Role under Changing Climate]