A recent scientific study published in the journal Nature predicts that climate change will bring devastating impacts to communities that obtain water from melting glaciers and snow packs.
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Barnett, T. P. et al. “Potential Impacts of a Warming Climate on Water Availability in Snow-Dominated Regions.” Nature 438: 303-309. 17 November 2005 at www.nature.com
Climate change is affecting hydrological cycles. One consequence is that snow and ice levels have been reduced; another is that snowmelt is occurring earlier in the spring season. Many regions lack the capacity to store winter and spring run-off for later in the season, when it is needed to meet peak summer demand. The authors review regional impacts in the Western USA, the Rhine River valley in Europe, the Hindu-Kush region in Asia, and the South American Andes. As one example, they cite Peruvian glaciers, where there has already been a 25% reduction in ice volume over the last thirty years, and where water resources will be substantially constrained in the absence of the glaciers. The authors conclude that the problem is increasingly urgent, indicating their expectations that water availability will dramatically decrease over the coming years.
Implications: More than one-sixth of the global population lives in regions that depend on snow and glaciers for water supply. With snow, ice and glacial melting from climate change, future water availability will be compromised, which could lead to a loss of potable water, population displacement, significant agricultural losses, and massive ecosystem degradation.
