A study in Communications Earth & Environment warns that warming-driven earlier snowmelt and reduced snowfall have produced a recurring snow drought on the Tibetan Plateau, endangering meltwater used by about 1.5 billion people. The plateau feeds 10 major rivers, including the Yangtze, Indus and Ganges. Experts say diminished snowpack could worsen water shortages, risk overflowing lakes that may flood roughly 500 communities, and contribute to a global water shortfall by 2100 unless mitigation and adaptation steps are taken.
Scientists Warn Snow Drought on Tibetan Plateau Threatens Water for 1.5 Billion
A study in Communications Earth & Environment warns that warming-driven earlier snowmelt and reduced snowfall have produced a recurring snow drought on the Tibetan Plateau, endangering meltwater used by about 1.5 billion people. The plateau feeds 10 major rivers, including the Yangtze, Indus and Ganges. Experts say diminished snowpack could worsen water shortages, risk overflowing lakes that may flood roughly 500 communities, and contribute to a global water shortfall by 2100 unless mitigation and adaptation steps are taken.
02:32, 09.11.2025Environment
Snow drought on the Tibetan Plateau threatens freshwater for billions
A recent study in Communications Earth & Environment finds that rising global temperatures are causing earlier snowmelt and reduced snowfall across the Tibetan Plateau, producing a recurring snow drought that jeopardizes downstream water supplies.
A snow drought occurs when seasonal snowpack — the layers of snow that accumulate and remain frozen through winter — is unusually low. Snowpack functions as a natural reservoir, storing water as ice and releasing it gradually during warmer months to support agriculture, drinking water supplies and ecosystems.
Often called the Asian Water Tower, the Tibetan Plateau feeds 10 major river systems, including the Yangtze, Indus and Ganges. Scientists estimate that roughly 1.5 billion people depend at least in part on water originating from the plateau.
As heat-trapping pollution intensifies, extreme events such as snow droughts are expected to become more frequent and severe, reducing reliable water access for vulnerable communities. A separate study projects that up to 66% of the global population could lack adequate access to clean water by 2100 if current trends continue.
Rapid melting also alters downstream hydrology: lakes fed by glacier and snowmelt may overflow. Researchers warn that overflowing Tibetan lakes could inundate about 500 communities unless preventive measures and improved management are implemented, putting homes, farmland and infrastructure at risk.
Experts recommend expanding scientific monitoring of the plateau's climate and hydrology, cutting emissions, protecting and restoring local ecosystems, and investing in adaptation measures such as improved water management, early-warning systems and, where appropriate, technologies like seawater desalination to increase resilient access to clean water.
Key takeaway: Protecting the Tibetan Plateau's snowpack and preparing downstream communities are essential to safeguard water for more than a billion people.