What Climate Change Will Actually Look Like Where You Live

Asia: The Third Pole Is Melting

Asia is warming rapidly. Between 1991 and 2025, temperatures across the continent increased at almost twice the rate recorded during 1961–1990. The year 2025 was the second-hottest on record, with Japan, China and South Korea experiencing unprecedented summer temperatures.

Extreme weather has already produced enormous human and economic losses. Flooding in Pakistan killed more than 1,000 people and affected over three million. Vietnam recorded more than 200 deaths and approximately $1.9 billion in losses.

Further north, the Himalayas and surrounding mountain ranges are undergoing profound changes. Often called the Third Pole, this region contains enormous stores of freshwater in glaciers. Between October 2024 and September 2025, all 23 principal glaciers monitored in the region lost mass. The Tian Shan and Pamir ranges experienced particularly rapid losses.

For India, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan, the implications reach far beyond the mountains. Glacial meltwater feeds major river systems that support agriculture, hydropower generation and urban populations. As glaciers shrink, the long-term reliability of these water supplies becomes increasingly uncertain, threatening the livelihoods of billions of people.