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Decadal glacier changes from 1990 to 2020 in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Updated Date: 3/17/2026 2:07:10 PM

Glaciers are an indispensable component of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, acting as a vast “water tower” that stores large volumes of freshwater and sustains Asia’s ten major river systems, supporting ecosystems, communities, and livelihoods across the continent. This study presents a decadal glacier change dataset for the HKH region developed using a semi-automatic mapping approach to ensure high accuracy and enable reliable comparison of glacier changes over time. The dataset was generated using consistent data sources and methods, with Landsat imagery from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, maintaining a narrow temporal window (±1 year from the base year) and a uniform spatial resolution. Glacier outlines were mapped at a scale of 1:50,000 with a minimum area threshold of 0.02 km². Glacier area and associated topographic parameters were derived using the Albers Equal Area projection and the global void-filled SRTM DEM v4. This dataset represents a first-of-its-kind, region-wide glacier inventory created using a consistent methodology and data source, providing a comprehensive assessment of glacier distribution and decadal change across the entire HKH region.

Decadal glacier changes from 1990 to 2020 in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Schema iso19139
Purpose The dataset presents the status and decadal changes of glaciers from 1990 to 2020 covering entire HKH region. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, scientists, and policymakers in managing glacier meltwater resources, studying climate change impacts, assessing glacial hazards, and planning risk reduction and mitigation strategies.
Descriptive Keyword Glacier, Cryosphere, Decadal Change, Glacier Change, Debris-covered, Clean Ice (theme) Hindu Kush Himalaya, Mountain ranges, Himalaya, Karakoram, Gangdise, Ganges, Indus, Amu Darya, Brahmaputra, Irrawaddy, Salween, Mekong, Yangtze, Yellow River, Tarim, Qinghai Tibetan, Nyainqêntanglha, Hengduan Shan, Tanggula Shan, Tibetan, Qilian Shan, Kunlun Shan, Pamir, Altun Shan (place)
Metadata Record Info
Language eng
Charset utf8
Hierarchy Level dataset
Date 2026-03-17T14:07:10
Standard Name North American Profile of ISO 19115:2003
Contact
Name Sudan Bikash Maharjan Email Sudan.Maharjan@icimod.org
Organization Name ICIMOD Voice
Position name RS Analyst - Cryosphere Address
Role author
Identification Info
Title Decadal glacier changes from 1990 to 2020 in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
Date 2026-03-19
Date Type publication
Abstract Glaciers are an indispensable component of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, acting as a vast “water tower” that stores large volumes of freshwater and sustains Asia’s ten major river systems, supporting ecosystems, communities, and livelihoods across the continent. This study presents a decadal glacier change dataset for the HKH region developed using a semi-automatic mapping approach to ensure high accuracy and enable reliable comparison of glacier changes over time. The dataset was generated using consistent data sources and methods, with Landsat imagery from 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2020, maintaining a narrow temporal window (±1 year from the base year) and a uniform spatial resolution. Glacier outlines were mapped at a scale of 1:50,000 with a minimum area threshold of 0.02 km². Glacier area and associated topographic parameters were derived using the Albers Equal Area projection and the global void-filled SRTM DEM v4. This dataset represents a first-of-its-kind, region-wide glacier inventory created using a consistent methodology and data source, providing a comprehensive assessment of glacier distribution and decadal change across the entire HKH region.
Purpose The dataset presents the status and decadal changes of glaciers from 1990 to 2020 covering entire HKH region. It serves as a valuable resource for researchers, scientists, and policymakers in managing glacier meltwater resources, studying climate change impacts, assessing glacial hazards, and planning risk reduction and mitigation strategies.
Status completed
Charset utf8
Topic Category geoscientificInformation
Spatial Representation Type
Cited Responsible Parties
Name Sudan Bikash Maharjan Email Sudan.Maharjan@icimod.org
Organization Name ICIMOD Voice 977-1-5275222
Position name RS Analyst - Cryosphere Address Nepal
Role author
Geographic Extent
Geographic Extent East 103.90 Geographic Extent West 67.60
Geographic Extent North 39.30 Geographic Extent South 27.00
Resource Maintenance Information
Maintenance and update frequency asNeeded
User Defined Maintenance Frequency
Date of Next Update
Legal Constraints
Use Limitation Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
Access Constraints license
Use Constraints license
Reference System Information
Code WGS 1984
Data Quality Info
Hierarchy level dataset
Distributor Info
Email metadata@icimod.org Organization Name ICIMOD
Voice Position name
Address Role distributor
Transfer Option
Online Resource Changing Dynamics of Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region from 1990 to 2020