Densely populated floodplains downstream of Asia's mountain ranges depend heavily on
mountain water resources, in particular for irrigation. An intensive and complex multi-
cropping irrigated agricultural system has developed here to optimize the use of these
mountain water resources in conjunction with monsoonal rainfall. Snow and glacier melt
thereby modulate the seasonal pattern of river flows and, together with groundwater, provide
water when rainfall is scarce. Climate change is expected to weaken this modulating effect …