The Third Pole is the name given to the Himalayan region, which is the largest storehouse of ice and snow in the world outside the polar regions. It includes all of Nepal, Bhutan, India (except the southernmost tip), Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan and Xinjiang in China. The Hindu Kush-Himalayan region is sometimes considered a fourth pole.
This region is of immense importance for global water security, as it contains the headwaters of ten major river systems that provide water to over 1.6 billion people – nearly one quarter of humanity. The rivers originating from the Third Pole include some of Asia’s mightiest: the Indus, Ganges and Brahmaputra. Together with their tributaries, they irrigate close to one third of all cropped land in Asia.
Glaciers in this region are also an important source of freshwater for rivers during summer when melted snow and ice contribute up to 70% or more of total discharge from some basins. In addition to supplying water, glaciers also regulate river flows by storing water as ice during winter months and releasing it gradually during summer and autumn when demand is highest. This helps reduce both flood risk downstream and drought risk upstream.
The Third Pole is also a key regulator of regional climate. Snow and ice reflect solar radiation back into space (a process known as albedo), helping keep Earth’s temperature cool. Widespread melting of glaciers due to climate change will therefore not only impact local ecosystems and water supplies but could also lead to global warming if replaced by dark surfaces like rock or forest that absorb more heat from sunlight .
Climate change is already causing widespread melting of glaciers in the Third Pole region . Since 1980 , over two thirds (68 %) of mountain glaciers across Hindu Kush – Himalaya have lost mass at an accelerating rate . If current trends continue , most could be gone by 2100 . This would have profound consequences for downstream communities who rely on glacier meltwater for irrigation , hydropower generation and drinking water . It would also lead to even more rapid sea level rise than we are currently experiencing , as melting land ice makes up around 28 % of total contributions