The Himalayan Ranges, Glaciers, Lakes and Rivers: An International Ecological, Economic and Military Outlook

The Himalayas contain the world’s third largest mass of ice which is a source for more than ten major rivers in Asia that support immense agricultural and industrial economies. Major Himalayan rivers such as the Ganga and Yamuna water almost half of India and support a vast industrial base, while the Indus, Sutlej and its tributaries serve a similar function in Pakistan and northwest India. Similarly, the Mekong, Padma and Brahmaputra rivers are vitally important to the populace and economies of Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Bangladesh while major Chinese rivers such as the Yangtze and Yellow rivers also originate in the Himalayas. Consequently, almost half of the world’s population depend on the natural resources of the Himalayas. However, the region remains socially disturbed, politically unstable and militarily sensitive. Moreover, the absence of coordinated and sustainable management has resulted in (or exacerbated) severe crises including the 2011 floods that devastated the economies of Pakistan, Bangladesh and parts of Southeast Asia. Of particular concern is the Aksai Chin region — located at the convergence of the three regional powers of China, India and Pakistan — where Chinese projects since the 1970s to develop electro-power facilities and an economic corridor to West and Central Asia, combined with increased military activity, has inflamed tensions and heightened geo-strategic rivalries.