The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) glaciers, also known as the Third Pole, form the largest ice sheet after the Arctic and Antarctic.  Thanks to climate change, this region is warming about three times faster than the global average causing the glaciers to melt.  The glaciers are retreating so fast that the central and eastern Himalayan glaciers could disappear by 2035.  The melting is threatening the life of the 240 million people who live on the mountains and hills with catastrophic floods and landslides.  These glaciers feed ten largest rivers in Asia, and nearly two billion people depend on these rivers for drinking water, agriculture, and hydroelectric power while three billion people consume the food produced in these river basins.  The rapid retreat and disappearance of these glaciers would have devastating impacts on these people and could destabilize the world.
 
The Healthy Climate Initiative (https://www.hci.in.net/), Arctic Ice Project (https://www.arcticiceproject.org/), and Climate Reality Project, India (https://www.climatereality.org.in/) are jointly to organize a symposium to communicate the realities and urgency of slowing the melt of the HKH glaciers, i.e. the  Third Pole, and to avert catastrophic impacts on the life and livelihood of 2 billion people later this year.  The objective of the symposium is to create awareness of the melting of the third pole (and Greenland?), and the solutions to stop the melt.  As a prelude to this symposium, the HCI will organize a webinar on 17th April, 11 AM US ET/8:30 PM IST.   Mr. Olafur Grimsson, former president of Iceland and an avid climate activist, and other noted personalities are expected to join the webinar.  Please mark your calendar, so too can join and make it a success.  Stay tuned for further details.   
 
Best wishes,
 
Soumitra Das
President, HCI

It will be broadcast on Facebook Live at 

https://www.facebook.com/Healthy-Climate-Initiative-104466384461665