ScienceKyrgyzstan’s melting glaciers threaten water supplies across Central Asia

Kyrgyzstan’s roughly 10,000 glaciers, known as Central Asia’s “water tower,” are rapidly retreating, with some shrinking by up to 16 metres a year. The country has recorded nearly 1,000 flood and mudflow emergencies since 2015, while 368 glacial lakes are considered at risk of dangerous outburst floods. Scientists warn that mining, infrastructure expansion and global warming are worsening the crisis, threatening farming, hydropower and downstream countries including Kazakhstan.