Tian Shan Glacier Retreat Accelerates: Central Asia’s Water, Food, and Hydropower Plans Face a 2040 Inflection Point
A study cited by The Diplomat projects the Tian Shan—Central Asia’s “water tower”—could lose roughly one-third of its glaciers by 2040, with much larger mass losses possible under prevailing climate trajectories. The resulting shift toward earlier runoff and reduced late-summer flows raises risks for irrigation-dependent economies and complicates hydropower expansion and transboundary water governance.