@Article{Wang2026,
author="Wang, Qiong
and Wang, Xin
and Duan, Keqin
and Liu, Qiao
and Yin, Yongsheng
and Ran, Weijie
and Liu, Shiyin
and Bolch, Tobias
and Baldacchino, Francesca
and He, Jinping
and Ding, Yongjian
and Zhang, Yaonan
and Zhang, Yong
and Wei, Junfeng
and Jiang, Zongli
and Chen, Xiaojie",
title="Positive glacial regulatory processes promote sustainability of Asian glacier water resources",
journal="Communications Earth {\&} Environment",
year="2026",
month="Jan",
day="23",
volume="7",
number="1",
pages="110",
abstract="Glacier response to climate change results in rapid glacier water resource loss. Positive glacial regulatory processes (GRPs) are processes that buffer glacier water resource losses. Nevertheless, these processes are not systematically quantified, which may lead to uncertainty in glacier water resource sustainability assessments. Here, we employ a glacier water balance model to track glacier water resource transport trajectories and quantify contributions of positive GRPs across High Mountain Asia (HMA). The combined impacts of positive GRPs could mitigate {\~}236-255 Gt of HMA glacier water resource loss ({\~}9{\%}-13{\%} of total mass loss) in the 21st century (2015-2100), suggesting underestimated glacier water resource sustainability. These contributions result from precipitation pattern transition ({\~}0.9{\%}-1.9{\%}), nonlinear fluctuations in glacier dynamics ({\~}4.7{\%}-7.1{\%}), rapid expansion of dead ice ({\~}2.0{\%}-2.4{\%}), and retention of glacial meltwater by exposed depressions ({\~}1.0{\%}-1.3{\%}). We highlight the importance of accurately assessing glacier water resource loss for water sustainability and sea level rise projections.",
issn="2662-4435",
doi="10.1038/s43247-026-03225-4",
url="https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-026-03225-4"
}