 Mountains in Asia play an important role in providing water for downstream regions, particularly those with arid climates and high water demand. However, direct observation of mountain precipitation is limited due to its low resolution and poor quality. To address this issue, researchers used glacial mass balances to estimate the amount of precipitation needed to maintain the observed mass balances of large glaciers in the upper Indus basin. The results showed that the amount of precipitation needed was much greater than what was estimated from grid precipitation data or observed at valley stations. This finding has implications for climate change impact studies, hydropower plant and irrigation reservoir designs, and regional geopolitics. This article was authored by W. W. Imerzil and Wanderz, A. F. Lutz and others.