High mountain glaciers and climate change: challenges to human livelihoods and adaptation
This report outlines status and trends of high mountain glaciers in relation to climate change, identifies challenges and knowledge gaps, and finally makes recommendations for adaptation, research and policy. It calls for accelerating research, monitoring and modelling of glaciers, snow and their role in water supplies; and highlights the vulnerability and exposure of people dependent upon these rivers to floods, droughts and eventually shortages as a result of changes in the melting and freezing cycles linked with climate change and other pollution impacts.