Himalayan glaciers are melting faster than any other body of ice as a result of climate change, threatening devastating consequences to the livelihoods of millions of people dependent on the river Ganges, the Nepalese government has warned.

Speaking at a two-day Himalayan climate change conference in Kathmandu, Madhav Kumar, Nepal’s prime minister, said: "The Himalayan glaciers are retreating faster than any other glaciers in the world as the temperature is increasing."