India, May 31 -- The retreat of glaciers is not only a warning but an immediate reality with far-reaching implications for water security, biodiversity, and the livelihoods of billions of people, minister of state for environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said on Saturday.

Addressing a plenary session at a high-level international conference on Glaciers' Preservation in Tajikistan's Dushanbe, Singh highlighted the global and regional consequences of glacial retreat, and that the phenomenon is accelerating, with disproportionate impacts on mountain regions such as the Himalayas.

He reiterated India's deep-rooted concern, as a country intrinsically connected to the Himalayan ecosystem, and outlined a series of ongoing initiatives aimed at glaci...