For billions of people, mountain meltwater is essential for drinking water and sanitation, food and energy security, and the integrity of the environment. But today, as the world warms, glaciers are melting faster than ever, making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme. And because of glacial retreat, floods, droughts, …
London: The peaks of Mount Kilimanjaro — world’s highest free-standing mountain — may be ice-free as soon as 2060, scientists have warned. Researchers with Nasa’s Earth Observatory, have found that between 1912 and 2011, the mass of ice on the summit of the 19,341ft dormant stratovolcano in Tanzania decreased by …
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 …
A combination of climate change and booming tourism could cause famous mountain spots in Southwest China's Yunnan province to lose their snow, authorities and experts have warned. Rising temperatures in recent years have steadily pushed the snow line on Meili Snow Mountain in the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture to higher …
This study aims to enhance understanding of the dynamic relationship among biodiversity conservation and management, gender, and livelihoods in the greater Himalayan region. Based on a review of literature and field-based case studies on the ground, it provides important insights on the different ways in which women and men in …
Using information on current species distributions and dispersal traits, this study forecasts climate-driven range dynamics of plant species across the European Alps. Simulations predict moderate range contractions over the twenty-first century; however, more severe effects of climate warming on mountain plant diversity are expected in the longer term.
This study addresses the extrapolation of in-situ glacier mass balance measurements to the mountain-range scale and aims at deriving time series of area-averaged mass balance and ice volume change for all glaciers in the European Alps for the period 1900–2100. Long-term mass balance series for 50 Swiss glaciers based on …
The Uttarakhand Janmanch will launch the Parvat Garjana Andolan from Srinagar on July 8 to protest against the Central Govern-ment’s decision to stop work on the Srinagar, Peepalkoti, Loharinag Pala hydro-power projects in the mountain State. The protest will be attended by Padma Shree recipients Leeladhar Jaguri, Rural Litigation and …
A rugged, tree-covered mountain range sweeps vertically into a brilliant blue sky. Out of a cave on its western side gushes a natural spring, its lacy, white water tripping 244 metres over a sheer black-and-red cliff face to fall into a blissful rock pool, before cascading further downhill. The site …
This publication addresses climate change and disaster management issues in South Asia, and more particularly in India. It builds on the theme chosen by the National Institute of Disaster Management (NIDM) for the world environment day, "Safeguard the environment for disaster risk reduction," which reflects the pressing need for arresting …
As a part of the Mountain Initiative, Nepal's Ministry of Environment organized a two-day `International Conference of Mountain Countries on Climate Change' in Kathmandu from 5-6 April 2012. The main objective of the conference was to bring all mountain countries together to make their collective voice stronger at international platforms. …
GANGTOK, May 27 – The two-day ‘2nd Sustainable Mountain Development Summit’ of Indian Mountain Initiative (IMI) hosted by Sikkim concluded with the ‘Gangtok Declaration’ and a momentum to carry on for the third summit proposed to be held at Kohima next year. “We resolve that the mountain States in India …
The IPCC in its Fourth Assessment Report (AR4) described the Himalayan Region as data-deficient in terms of climate monitoring. This is a serious impediment to global research initiatives and thus necessitates long-term ecological monitoring (LTEM) across the Himalaya. Being governed by low temperature conditions, the high-altitude regions in Himalaya are …
To the world’s military leaders, the debate over climate change is long over. They are preparing for a new kind of Cold War in the Arctic, anticipating that rising temperatures there will open up a treasure trove of resources, long-dreamed-of sea lanes and a slew of potential conflicts. By Arctic …
The Matterhorn is the iconic peak of the Alpine mountains on the border of Switzerland and Italy. Its majestic spire soars over 14,600 feet in the air, making it quite a sight to behold. The glaciers at the top of the mountain have been receding due to the changing climate, …
Racing against time, Pakistani troops, aided by sniffer dogs and mechanical equipment, on Sunday frantically searched for 135 people, mostly soldiers, buried under dozens of feet of snow after a massive avalanche slammed into a key army camp in the Siachen sector near Indian border. Rescuers resumed the desperate search …
The Ministry of Environment today launched the two-day International Conference of Mountain Countries on Climate Change in Kathmandu. Organised by the MoE and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, the participants were scientists, researchers, policy makers, and climate change experts from more than 20 countries who have been working on …
This is the country report for the International Conference of Mountain Countries on Climate Change. The draft national report dealt with the overall socio-economic and environmental situation in Nepal and highlighted issues related to climate change and its overall impact. Besides focusing on the national issues concerning the mountain environment, …
The main objective of this study was to identify and prioritize subbasins/watersheds in the Middle and High Mountains of Nepal that are significantly vulnerable to Climate Change (CC). The approach of the vulnerability assessment framework of the United Nation’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) was the guide for this …
This publication presents 15 case studies solicited by ICIMOD during the International Year of Biodiversity 2010. ICIMOD called for case studies from the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region on initiatives dealing with mountain biodiversity, with a focus on success stories. Twenty-eight case studies were received from most countries in the …
After the first phase of its modernisation led to an improvement in the accuracy of forecasts, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has embarked on Phase 2, in a bid to increase its forecasting capabilities. IMD Director Dr B P Yadav said that the department would install at least two automatic …
