Reading the story of climate change from fluvial sediment loads: the case of High Mountain Asia

Rivers originating in High Mountain Asia (HMA) are crucial lifelines for approximately one-third of the world’s population. These fragile headwater rivers are now experiencing amplified climate change, glacier melt, and permafrost thaw. The rapid climate change and melting and thawing of the cryosphere are not only affecting the water cycle but also influencing the sediment erosion and transport. In this talk, I will give an overview of how modern climate change drives the substantial increases in the fluvial sediment loads in the glacier and permafrost landscapes of HMA. I will also discuss the implications of the increasing fluvial sediment loads for water quality, hydropower, floods, carbon cycling and thus securities of energy-food-environment in the region and beyond.