Satellite Data Helps Launch Afghanistan's First Glacier Inventory
Glaciers are a key indicator of climate change, the proverbial canaries in the coal mine. Studying past and present behavior of glaciers and analyzing possible long-term changes help governments to better understand the impacts of climate change on water resources. Across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region – an area that extends over eight countries from Afghanistan in the west to Myanmar in the east – scientists have observed that most glaciers are melting faster than in the past, creating new challenges in managing local and regional water resources, natural hazards, and geopolitical stability. Glaciated area in the Wakhan valley, Landsat 8 satellite image - false-color (653), acquired 2015 (Source: USGS) In a region where water is already a scarce commodity, the retreat of glaciers is affecting millions of people, but the scale of this impact is not precisely known. For example, in Afghanistan, where a majority of glaciers are found in the...