Over the last four decades , the world ’s 150,000 glaciers have lost the equivalent of a 70 cm thick layer of ice due to global warming . Some glaciers have also become shorter , while others have completely disappeared . Melting ice results in sea level rises , flooding , changes to ecosystems and disruption to hydroelectricity production . In the Tien Shan mountain range in central Asia , glacier retreat could also reduce the water supply for around 100 million people within the next two decades . Ultimately , the great river basins of Asia , on which hundreds of millions rely , could also be affected .
Over the last four decades, the world’s 150,000 glaciers have lost the equivalent of a 70 foot thick layer of ice due to global warming. Some glaciers have also become shorter, while others have completely disappeared. Melting ice results in sea level rises, flooding, changes to ecosystems and disruption to hydroelectricity production. In the Tien Shan mountain range in central Asia, glacier retreat could also affect the water supply for around two million people within the next two decades. Ultimately, the great river basins of Asia, on which hundreds of millions rely, could also be affected.