Himalayas: Rain and Ice in a Warming Era

Exploring how extreme rainfall, melting glaciers, and shifting weather threaten the fragile Himalayas and millions depending on them.

Introduction

Across the Himalayan region, a troubling pattern has emerged. In recent years, there has been an increase in cloudbursts, landslides, and flash floods that destroy homes, roads, and lives. As journalist Anjali Marar observes in “Topography, Climate Change: Behind Heavy Rains in Himalayas” (The Indian Express, September 17, 2025), the geography of the mountains themselves makes them especially vulnerable to these disasters. Unlike flat plains where water can spread out and drain away, the steep Himalayan slopes turn heavy rains into dangerous torrents. This essay explores how changing rainfall, melting glaciers, and shifting weather systems are reshaping the Himalayas in the era of climate change.

Fragile Mountains

The Himalayas are the highest mountains in the world, stretching across five countries, including India, Nepal, and Bhutan. Their slopes are steep and their rocks are often loose, which means they can easily collapse when hit by rain. When rain falls heavily in these regions, the water does not soak into the soil as it might in flatter areas. Instead, it rushes downhill, carrying mud, rocks, and tree roots with it. This causes landslides, which are sudden collapses of soil and rock.

Another related hazard is a cloudburst, which refers to an intense rainfall event in a very short time, sometimes more than 100 mm in an hour. For comparison, London often receives that much rainfall spread out over an entire month. When such a cloudburst hits a fragile mountain slope, it can release massive amounts of water and mud, overwhelming villages and cutting off roads.

The results are tragic. In Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, heavy rains have killed dozens and left thousands stranded. Unlike coastal states such as Kerala or Goa, where 300 mm of rainfall in a day may not cause immediate disaster, in the Himalayas even 100 mm can prove deadly. Geography, in this case, turns normal rainfall into catastrophe. Yet rainfall is only one part of the Himalayan story. Another lies in its vast frozen reserves of snow and ice—the cryosphere.

The Cryosphere

A less familiar but crucial term in understanding the Himalayas is the cryosphere. This refers to all the frozen water on Earth, including glaciers, snow, and ice. The Himalayan cryosphere is so vast that scientists often call it the “Third Pole”, since it holds more ice than anywhere else outside the Arctic and Antarctic.

Glaciers are slow-moving rivers of ice that form when snow builds up over many years. These glaciers act like natural water tanks. During hot summer months, they release meltwater into rivers such as the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus, which are lifelines for nearly two billion people downstream. Farmers depend on this water for irrigation, cities use it for drinking, and dams rely on it for hydropower.

But with rising global temperatures, these glaciers are melting faster than before. For example, the Gangotri glacier, one of the largest in India, is shrinking every year. Studies have shown that glaciers in the Bhagirathi basin are thinning by about 1.3 metres each year. This is like losing the height of a tall human being from the glacier surface every year. While this extra melt initially increases river flow, over time the glaciers will store less water, leading to shortages during dry seasons.

Western Disturbances

Another important factor shaping Himalayan weather is Western Disturbances (WDs). These are storm systems that form over the Mediterranean Sea and travel eastward towards India, carried by high-altitude winds called the jet stream. They are especially active in winter and bring snow and rain to the northern Himalayas.

Snowfall from Western Disturbances is vital because it builds up the snowpack that later melts into rivers. In fact, these disturbances can provide up to one-third of the winter rainfall in parts of the western Himalayas. Without them, the rivers would run much drier in spring.

However, climate change is disrupting this system. Meteorologists have observed that WDs are shifting further south than before. When they interact with the summer monsoon—a seasonal wind system that brings rain from the Indian Ocean—they create unusually heavy and unpredictable rainfall. This adds another layer of risk for Himalayan communities already dealing with fragile slopes and melting glaciers.

Extreme Rainfall Rising

India’s climate records show an important trend. While the total rainfall in a season has not changed much over the last century, the pattern of rainfall has changed a lot. Moderate rainy days are decreasing, while extreme events—days with very heavy rain—are increasing.

This pattern is especially dangerous in the Himalayas. A plain area like central India may absorb some of this rain, but on mountain slopes, even moderate rain can cause landslides. When a place like Udhampur in Jammu and Kashmir receives 630 mm of rain in a single day, it is far beyond what the soil and rivers can handle. The outcome is usually flash floods, where rivers suddenly rise and sweep away bridges, houses, and fields.

Why It Is Happening

The science behind this change lies in how a warmer atmosphere behaves. Warmer air can hold more moisture, which means when clouds finally release rain, they do so in much heavier bursts. This explains why extreme rainfall events are on the rise.

Another factor is the melting of Arctic sea ice far away from the Himalayas. As the polar ice shrinks, it changes the flow of the jet streams—the high-altitude winds that guide storm systems. These changes ripple across continents, disrupting rainfall patterns in South Asia. This shows how deeply connected the Earth’s systems are: what happens in the Arctic can influence the Himalayas thousands of kilometres away.

Human Consequences

The risks are not just about natural disasters but also about daily life. Farmers in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh rely heavily on steady river flows for irrigation. If glaciers melt too quickly and rains become erratic, crops may fail either from floods or droughts. Hydropower dams, which generate electricity, also need a steady supply of water. Too much water at once can damage them, while too little water reduces their output.

Cities downstream, including Delhi and Dhaka, depend on Himalayan rivers for drinking water. If rivers dry out in the long term, millions of people could face shortages. On the other hand, too much rain at once can cause urban flooding, as happened in Delhi in 2023.

Tourism is another sector at risk. The Himalayas attract millions of visitors for trekking, pilgrimage, and adventure sports. But frequent landslides, floods, and melting glaciers threaten not only the safety of travellers but also the livelihoods of local communities who depend on tourism.

Policy and Preparedness

To face these challenges, governments need both local action and global cooperation. Locally, building stronger roads, bridges, and houses can reduce damage from landslides and floods. Early warning systems using satellites and weather models can alert communities before disasters strike. Educating people about risks is equally important so they know how to respond when heavy rains arrive.

At the national level, India and its neighbours must invest more in scientific research that combines meteorology (the study of weather), hydrology (the study of water systems), and glaciology (the study of glaciers). This interdisciplinary approach can improve forecasting and planning.

Globally, reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains the ultimate solution. If global warming continues unchecked, the glaciers will keep shrinking and extreme rainfall will worsen. International climate agreements and clean energy investments are therefore directly connected to the survival of the Himalayan ecosystem.

Conclusion

The Himalayas are entering a period of rapid and unsettling change. Heavy rains are becoming more extreme, glaciers are melting faster, and weather systems are shifting in unpredictable ways. Together, these changes create new risks for millions of people across South Asia. The mountains are fragile, yet they are also powerful water towers sustaining vast populations.

The story of the Himalayas is not just about rocks, ice, and rain. It is about farmers planting crops, children walking to school, pilgrims climbing sacred trails, and city dwellers drinking water from rivers born in the high snows. Protecting the Himalayas means protecting the future of nearly one-quarter of humanity. In a warming era, resilience, science, and cooperation will be the keys to survival.

Subscribe to our Youtube Channel for more Valuable Content – TheStudyias

Download the App to Subscribe to our Courses – Thestudyias

The Source’s Authority and Ownership of the Article is Claimed By THE STUDY IAS BY MANIKANT SINGH