The HKH Snow Update 2025 highlights a significant decline in seasonal snow across the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, with snow persistence 23.6% below normal — the lowest in 23 years. This trend, now in its third consecutive year, threatens water security for nearly two billion people. All twelve major river …
The increasing demand of the herbal industry for ‘naag chhatri’, a perennial medicinal plant found in the temperate zone of the Himalayas, is leading to its indiscriminate and excessive exploitation and posing a serious threat to it. The herb is being smuggled out of the state in bulk. Over the …
Flash floods on the edge of high terrain, such as the Himalayas or Rocky Mountains, are especially dangerous and hard to predict. The Leh flood of 2010 at the edge of the Himalayan Plateau in India is an example of the tragic consequences of such storms. The flood occurred over …
Traditional knowledge (TK) related to the use of natural resources including medicinal plants has been recognized as one of the important assets inherited through generations by the local communities. (Correspondence) Original Source
The threat of climate change has galvanised the Indian government and industry into action. Every corporate worth its salt is proclaiming that it is doing something to fight climate change. A cursory glance at corporate web pages gives us an idea of its importance. The Tata page says: “The Tata …
The Uttarakhand government has sought a relief package of Rs 800 crore in the wake of a series of natural disasters caused by heavy rains that has wreaked havoc in the hill state. “We have already sent an official memorandum to the Centre for a relief package of Rs 800 …
Northern parts of the country and the Himalayan region will be the worst hit by climate change in India and warming will be greater over land than sea, according to a latest report. “In the 2020s, the projected warming is of the order of 0.5-1.5 degrees Celsius, by the 2050s, …
Studying diversity and distribution patterns of species along elevational gradients and understanding drivers behind these patterns is central to macroecology and conservation biology. A number of studies on biogeographic gradients are available for terrestrial ecosystems, but freshwater ecosystems remain largely neglected. In particular, we know very little about the species …
Great Indian Bustard, White-bellied Heron on the brink The White-bellied Heron, the Great Indian Bustard, the Peacock Tarantula and the Spoon-billed Sandpiper of India are among the 100 most threatened species of the planet and “closest to extinction.” The Javan Rhino and Sumatran Rhino — considered extinct in India — …
New Delhi: The fate of Delhi is tied intimately to that of the Himalayas. The city’s water-needs are met by Himalayan rivers; part of our power requirements too is met by energy harnessed at dams on Himalayan rivers; and the forests form a “sinking point” for the pollution we generate. …
Mountainous areas in the northern Pakistan are blessed by numerous rivers that have great potential in water resources and hydropower production. Many of these rivers are unexploited for their water resource potential. If the potential of these rivers are explored, hydropower production and water supplies in these areas may be …
Small hydropower (SHP) being most reliable and environmentally benign energy technology or electricity generation plays an important role in development of a region/nation. Major portion of hydropower potential in India lies in Himalayan region.
Glacial melting in the Tibetan Plateau affects the water resources of millions of people. This study finds that—partly owing to changes in atmospheric circulations and precipitation patterns—the most intensive glacier shrinkage is in the Himalayan region, whereas glacial retreat in the Pamir Plateau region is less apparent.
This atlas contains maps and statistics on the High Altitude Lakes (HALs) found exclusively in the Himalayan region at an altitude above 3000 m above mean sea level. These are very special wetlands and play significant role in the hydrological cycle and water resources of Indian subcontinent, and harbors unique …
The glaciers of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region are among the largest and most spectacular in the world. Although there is some scientific knowledge and information about the state of the glaciers of the HKH region, with implications for future water supplies, there is also significant uncertainty. Concern has been …
A serious lack of reliable and consistent data severely hampers scientific knowledge about the state of Himalayan glaciers. As a result, the contribution of glacial melt to the Himalayan river basins remains uncertain. This is of grave importance because declining water availability could threaten the food security of more than …
Floods hit power projects in Himalayan states; plans for more raise safety concerns. Heavy rainfall leading to flash floods in Himalayan rivers in July-end devastated three states—Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir. It claimed 34 human lives and damaged property extensively. It also brought into focus the precarious condition …
In this study, Gangotri glacier was monitored using Indian Remote Sensing (IRS) LISS-III sensor data in combination with field collected snow-meteorological data for a period of seven years (2001–2008). An overall decreasing trend in the areal extent of seasonal snow cover area (SCA) was observed. An upward shifting trend of …
In early August, as people struggled to survive the humid summer heat, a huge power cut deprived almost half of Pakistan's largest city, Karachi, of electricity for more than 16 hours and led to the rupture of a water pipeline carrying more than 20 percent of the city's drinking water. …
Glaciers are among the best indicators of terrestrial climate variability, contribute importantly to water resources in many mountainous regions and are a major contributor to global sea level rise. In the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya region (HKKH), a paucity of appropriate glacier data has prevented a comprehensive assessment of current regional mass …
A measurement by satellite altimetry shows the Himalayan glaciers to be losing mass at only moderate rates, but raises broader questions about other methods for estimating mass balance.
