The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are home to the largest reserve of snow and ice outside the North and South Poles. In an area sixty-thousand kilometres square, the HKH contains approximately 54,000 glaciers, 6,000 km3 of ice, and 0.76 million km2 of snow cover. Ten rivers basins begin the HKH and they provide water, food, energy, and ecosystem services to more than 1.3 billion people in South Asia.