Why in News? 

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has published a report highlighting the lowest snow persistence in 23 years in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), which poses a threat to river flows across South Asia. 

What is the Hindu Kush Himalaya? 

• About: Stretching over 3500 kilometres and across eight countries: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, Myanmar and Pakistan, HKH is one of the largest volumes of ice and snow outside of the Arctic and Antarctica. 
  • 4 of the world’s 36 global biodiversity hotspots are in this region. 
    • Himalaya, Indo-Burma, Mountains of Southwest China, and Mountains of Central Asia 
• Water Tower of Asia: It is called the ‘Water Tower of Asia’. At least 12 rivers fan out in every direction across the Asian continent from HKH: 
  • The Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra towards the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal 
  • Syr Darya and Amu Darya towards the now-dead Aral Sea 
  • The Tarim toward the Taklamakan 
  • The Yellow River towards the Gulf of Bohai 
  • The Yangtze towards the East China Sea 
  • The Mekong towards the South China Sea 
  • The Chindwin, Salween and Irrawaddy towards the Andaman Sea