The cryosphere encompasses the frozen components of the Earth System including ice caps, glaciers, permafrost and seasonal snow cover. It plays an essential role in sustaining climatic variations and water supply systems. The cryosphere is changing rapidly in response to global warming with especially serious implications for the water supplies of communities reliant on meltwater discharges from seasonal snowpacks and glaciers in mountainous watersheds. These water-supply consequences are acute in regions undergoing rapid population growth and associated increases in water demand.
Global warming is associated with widespread glacier recession, permafrost degradation, and shifts in the timing and magnitude of freshwater availability from meltwater flows. These changes carry substantial consequences for high-elevation and high-latitude ecosystems, and low-lying regions affected by rising sea levels. Specific cryospheric hazards including ice and/or rock avalanches, and Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) are becoming increasingly prevalent in glacierized high mountain areas and pose a major threat to downstream communities and infrastructure. Addressing the impacts of the changing cryosphere, its hazards and associated risks is crucial for developing relevant mitigation strategies to reduce potential risks.
This research topic seeks to provide an interdisciplinary forum for researchers to explore diverse aspects of cryospheric science, climate change impact studies, and related hazards. The main aim of this Research Topic (RT) is to enhance our comprehension of cryosphere dynamics, its associated hazards and interactions in response to changing climate. The RT will attempt to evaluate the complex interactions among the components of the water balance, with a goal of informing long-term disaster risk reduction strategies for sustainable development, water resource management and climate resilience development.
The objective of RT is to promote interdisciplinary science among cryosphere scientists, hydrologists, climate researchers, disaster managers, planners and policymakers. By engaging experts from diverse backgrounds, we seek to achieve the following goals:
1. To enhance our understanding of cryospheric processes and their responses to climate change through interdisciplinary research, incorporating state-of-the-art models, advanced tools and techniques;
2. To advance multi-hazard risk assessment frameworks and Early Warning Systems (EWS) to mitigate the potential impacts of cryospheric hazards;
3. To develop strategies for sustainable water resource management in the mountainous areas highly dependent on the cryosphere; and
4. To advocate for climate-resilient practices and policies that account for the dynamic interactions between climate and the cryosphere in a rapidly changing cryospheric landscapes.
In pursuit of these objectives, we aim to establish a comprehensive knowledge base that guides evidence-based decision-making and develops adaptation strategies in the context of climate and cryosphere-related hazards for affected communities. Moreover, this Research Topic seeks to play a pivotal role in global efforts to protect vulnerable areas/communities and promote sustainable use of water resources.
The scope of this Research topic includes but is not limited to the following themes:
1. Cryosphere Dynamics and Climate Change
2. Cryospheric Hazards and Risk Assessment
3. Water Resources and Cryospheric Contributions
4. Modelling and Utilization of Advanced Geospatial Techniques
5. Field Insights into Glaciers and Glacial Lakes

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Frontiers in Water

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