Origin of the Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin

The Ganga-Brahmaputra Basin originates in the Tibetan Plateau (the "Roof of the World"), within the Himalayan mountain system.

Key Sources

• Ganga Headwaters: Gangotri Glacier (Gaumukh, 3,892 m) → Bhagirathi; joins Alaknanda at Devprayag → Ganga. Also Mandakini, Yamuna (Yamunotri Glacier).
• Brahmaputra Headwaters: Angsi Glacier (Tibet, 5,210 m) → Yarlung Tsangpo (flows east 1,700 km in Tibet) → turns south at Namcha Barwa gorge → enters India as Siang/Dihang → Brahmaputra.

Basin Scale

• Area: ~1.7 million km² (India, China, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan).
• Population: >600 million (one of Earth's most densely populated basins).
• Discharge: Combined ~38,000 m³/s (3rd globally after Amazon, Congo).

Monsoon feeds both rivers; Himalayan glaciers provide perennial baseflow. The basin is the lifeline of South Asia's agriculture, culture, and ecology.