Black carbon is an important short-lived climate pollutant that exerts a dual impact by accelerating atmospheric warming and deteriorating air quality. Studying black carbon is hence crucial in the Indo-Gangetic Plains and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF) region. In this context, ICIMOD has played a pivotal role in establishing black carbon monitoring stations in the IGP-HF region of Nepal and Bhutan. Observation data show that black carbon concentrations peak during the pre-monsoon season, with a characteristic diurnal cycle marked by low night-time levels and higher concentrations in the afternoon at high-altitude locations such as Yala Glacier in the Central Himalayas. Glacier mass-balance analysis at this site indicates that black carbon contributed to approximately 39% of total mass loss during the pre-monsoon season. Source apportionment using the Absorption Ångström Exponent (AAE) suggests that biomass burning accounts for more than 50% of black carbon across most monitoring sites, except in the Kathmandu Valley, where fossil fuel combustion is the dominant source. The black carbon measurements were contextualized, across the HKH region. Having a short atmospheric lifetime effective black carbon mitigation offers a high-impact, near-term opportunity to simultaneously improve air quality, public health and safeguard Himalayan cryospheric systems.