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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Environment
Damian Carrington Environment editor

INSANE: Himalayan glacier melting doubled since 2000 scientists reveal - The Real Truth

Gokyo Lake in the Himalayas
Research has shown 8bn tonnes of ice are being lost each year and not replaced by snow in the Himalayas. Photograph: Goncalo Diniz/Alamy

The melting of Himalayan glaciers has doubled since the turn of the century, with more than a quarter of all ice lost over the last four decades, scientists have revealed. The accelerating losses indicate a “devastating” future for the region, upon which a billion people depend for regular water.

The scientists combined declassified US spy satellite images from the mid-1970s with modern satellite data to create the first detailed, four-decade record of ice along the 2,000km (1,200-mile) mountain chain.

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