Snow-cover mapping and monitoring in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas
Snow is an important component of the cryosphere, and the study of snow trends is essential for understanding regional climate change and for managing water resources. Changes in the snow budget have socioeconomic and environmental implications for agriculture, water-based industries, environment, land management, water supplies, and many others. To date, however, few scientific studies have been available to support a general perception of decline in seasonal snow cover in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. ‘Snow-Cover Mapping and Monitoring in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas’ is the first comprehensive status report of snow cover in the HKH region. It analyses information from ICIMOD’s regional snow cover monitoring scheme, which is compiled in a database containing snow cover data for the whole region from 2000 to the present, updated weekly.