All major rivers in Bhutan depend on snowmelt for discharge. Therefore, changes in snow cover due to climate change can influence distribution and availability of water. However, information about distribution of seasonal snow cover in Bhutan is not available. The MODIS snow product was used to study snow cover status and trends in Bhutan.

The first comprehensive status report of snow cover in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region. It analyses information from ICIMOD’s regional snow cover monitoring scheme, which is compiled in a database containing snow cover data for the whole region from 2000 to the present, updated weekly.