The melting of the Himalayan glaciers does not bode well for the Indus, Ganga, Bramhaputra, Yangtze and Yellow rivers as their water supplies could fall by as much as 19.6 percent by 2050 if it continues unabated, says a study.

The study, published in the latest issue of Science journal, said that more than 1.4bn people depend on water from rivers of Indus, Ganges and Brahamaputra, Yangtze and Yellow rivers and threatens food security of people living in Asia. It will also cause food problem to 60 million to people, the study reported.

The Dutch scientists, who brought out the report based on their research findings, have stated that the impact of the melting glaciers could be disastrous with one-fifth of the population dependent on these rivers for drinking water and irrigation.

But the report also says that it will not affect all the Asian rivers and impact would be lesser than claimed a few years ago by the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

The scientists also suggested that increased rainfall in some river basins will blunt the effect of the disappearing snow and ice.

The team used data like the current importance of meltwater in overall river basin hydrology; observed cyrospheric changes; and the effects of climate change on the water supply from the upstream basins and on food security to come to this conclusion.

Read the report