Glaciers play an important role in formation of the Central Asian rivers. For example, around the half of the summer flow of the Amu Darya, the largest river in the region, is formed in the summer by glacial melt water. The long-term observations however suggest that glaciers of Central Asia have been shrinking at alarming rates over the past 40 years due to climate change.
We bring to your attention the presentation of Dr. Tomas Saks, Senior Researcher at the University of Fribourg, on "Melting Glaciers of Central Asia". His presentation contains a brief overview of what we know today about the glaciers of Central Asia, why it is important to have proper glaciological monitoring and research in the region, how climate change has been affecting the state of glaciers in the past and what we can expect in the future.
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