Cryosphere hazards under weather and climate extremes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: The cryosphere Hazard interaction pathways (CHiP) framework

The Hindu Kush Himalaya has emerged as a hotspot of cryosphere hazards due to climate change. While long-term warming governs glacier, snow, and permafrost evolution, weather and climate extremes (WCEs) often control hazard timing and magnitude. However, understanding of WCEs–cryosphere interactions remain limited and existing preconditioning-triggering concepts have examined WCEs impact on cryosphere components in isolation rather than applying a single framework. Here, we synthesize recent evidence and propose the Cryosphere Hazard Interaction Pathways (CHiP) Framework under WCEs. The framework links WCEs to cryosphere hazards via direct triggering (P1), indirect or lagged response (P2). These pathways drive compound and cascading hazards across the region. Integrating CHiP under WCEs into monitoring, hazard investigation, and early warning is essential for improving multi-hazard risk assessment and climate-resilient adaptation in high-mountain regions.