Minister for Climate Change Dr Musadik Malik has called for expedited efforts to address climate-induced glacial melt in the Himalayas-Karakoram-Hindu Kush (HKH) mountain range, warning at the sidelines of COP30 that glacial melt was occurring at an “unprecedented rate”.

Pakistan is home to about 13,000 glaciers. According to a 2023 report by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Hima­layan glaciers, which provide critical water to nearly two billion people, are melting faster than ever before due to climate change, exposing communities to unpredictable and costly disasters.

The minister made the remarks at the sidelines of COP30, at an event titled “Cryosphere Adaptation & Disaster Risk Reduction”, where he delivered the keynote address via video, the Press Information Department (PID) said on Saturday.

Malik told the participants that “climate-induced glacier melt is occurring at an unprecedented pace,” calling for the “urgent need” to protect the HKH cryosphere, which he described as the “white rooftops of the world” and the “primary lifeline of millions across South Asia.”

As per the PID statement, the event — organised by the Ministry of Climate Change & Environmental Coordination in collaboration with the ICIMOD — featured interventions from Deputy Ministers of Türkiye and Azerbaijan, the Director General of ICIMOD, and senior representatives from Nepal, Bhutan, UNESCO, UNDP, and the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

“Pakistan hosts 13,000 glaciers, which feed the Indus River system and sustain the country’s agricultural, ecological, and economic foundations,” the press release quoted Malik as saying.

He informed the audience that climate-induced glacier melt was “resulting in severe losses and damages, including Glaicial Lake Outburst Floods (Glofs).”

A Glofs refers to a rush of water from a glacial lake, which could lead to severe flooding downstream.

Terming it an issue of “justice and rights”, Malik said: “Seventy per cent of the world’s carbon emissions come from just ten countries, yet these same countries receive 85pc of global green finance.“

“He urged countries with historic emissions responsibility to contribute their fair share toward adaptation and resilience in vulnerable mountain regions, calling on the global community to elevate the cryosphere agenda at COP30,” the press release read.

Malik, in his address, also noted that Pakistan had “demonstrated leadership through its updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0)”.

As per the 2023 ICIMOD report, glaciers in the HKH region are a crucial water source for around 240m people in the mountainous regions, as well as for another 1.65bn people in the river valleys below.

Based on current emissions trajectories, the glaciers could lose up to 80pc of their current volume by the end of the century, said the Nepal-based ICIMOD.