He stated, “The melting of glaciers may temporarily increase river flows, but subsequently, water availability will rapidly decline. Major rivers like the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra are nourished by these glaciers.”He also underscored the urgent global initiatives aimed at curbing the rapid melting of glaciers. “While it’s impossible to stop glaciers from melting directly. Our focus must be on controlling the rate of climate change to mitigate its impacts.”The fight against climate change is encapsulated in the 2015 Paris Agreement, which seeks to limit global temperature rise to below 2°C, with ambitious efforts aimed at restricting it to 1.5°C. In a critical disclosure regarding glaciers on the global stage, the glaciologist stated, “According to the Geological Survey of India, there are 9,575 glaciers in Indian territory.”He further elaborated on the global distribution of glaciers, noting, “According to the USGS, if we talk about the percentage of glaciers, the highest concentration is found in Antarctica at 91%, followed by 8.5% in the Arctic (Greenland, North America), 0.2% in Asia, and 0.1% in South America, Europe, Africa, New Zealand, and Indonesia.”Dr Mehta emphasized the significance of the glaciers in Asia, particularly the Himalayas and Hindu Kush, stating, “These glaciers are referred to as the ‘Third Pole’ because they hold approximately 0.2% of the world’s fresh water reserves.”
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