Tajikistan reports disappearance of over 1,300 glaciers

More than 1,300 glaciers have completely disappeared in Tajikistan over the last 23 years, according to monitoring data from the country's Hydromet service. Out of 14,000 recorded glaciers, the volume of large glacial masses has dropped by 30% over the past decade. The Tajikistan Glacier, the world's largest mountain glacier outside polar regions, is experiencing accelerated melting. The glacier spans 77 km in length and 700 square kilometers in area, with a width ranging from 1,700 to 3,100 meters. It serves as the primary freshwater source for the Surkhob, Vakhsh, and Amu Darya rivers, which supply water to Central Asian regions across a 2,000 km stretch toward the Aral Sea basin. Experts have identified several areas of high dynamic activity and physical risk: