<p>The snowy peaks of the Himalaya—seen from 27,000 feet on Mount Everest's northern face—are part of a vital freshwater cache that courses down to a vast populace. But warming temperatures and fast-melting ice could cause disaster downstream.</p>
The snowy peaks of the Himalaya—seen from 27,000 feet on Mount Everest's northern face—are part of a vital freshwater cache that courses down to a vast populace. But warming temperatures and fast-melting ice could cause disaster downstream.
The Big Melt
Glaciers in the high heart of Asia feed its greatest rivers, lifelines for two billion people. Now the ice and snow are diminishing.
This story appears in the April 2010 issue of National Geographic magazine.
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