TROMSOE (AFP) - The melting of Earth's ice and snow is accelerating the effects of global warming and could trigger wider-ranging impacts on people, economies and wildlife, the UN warned in a report on Monday.
"Snow and ice reflect 70 to 80 percent of the sun's energy, whereas water absorbs it. If snow and ice continue to melt, this will amplify global warming," report author Paal Prestrud told a press conference in the Norwegian Arctic town of Tromsoe.
The Global Outlook for Ice and Snow report was launched Monday by the United Nations Environment Program to mark World Environment Day on June 5.
It argued that an estimated 40 percent of the world's population could be affected by the loss of snow and glaciers on the mountains of Asia. Many Asian rivers begin in the Himalayas and less ice and snow would mean less water for drinking and agriculture.
In addition, rising sea levels would affect low-lying coasts and islands hitting hard countries such as Bangladesh or Indonesia.