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, …
This report outlines status and trends of high mountain glaciers in relation to climate change, identifies challenges and knowledge gaps, and finally makes recommendations for adaptation, research and policy. It calls for accelerating research, monitoring and modelling of glaciers, snow and their role in water supplies; and highlights the vulnerability …
POLLUTION IN THE HIMALAYAS Soot gets everywhere. Even into the world's highest mountains T HE Himalayas and the adjacent Tibetan plateau are sometimes referred to as the Earth's third pole, because of the amount of ice they host. They are also known as Asia's water tower. Their glaciers feed the …
With global warming hitting the Tibetan plateau hard, scientists gather to plan an international research campaign to understand and mitigate changes at the 'third pole'.
USAID recognizes the need to proactively address the implications of glacier melt, including the drivers of the process and the factors that may impede adaptation. This report provides approaches to vulnerabilities associated with glacier melt and ways to strengthen the ability of countries and their communities to adapt to potential …
R. Ramachandran NEW DELHI: The review by the Inter-Academy Council (IAC) of the working of the Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which was released on August 30, has brought out some interesting facts about the Himalayan glacier controversy. Significantly, besides revealing the weaknesses in the multi-layered process established by …
A cloud burst over arid Himalayan town of Leh in Ladakh on August 6, pouring some 250 mm of rain in an hour. The sudden downpour triggered flash floods and mudslides, killing over 180 people and wiping out the old town of Leh and two villages. Weathermen say the high-altitude …
This document prepared by Gandhi Peace Foundation, is a blueprint of the Himalayan People's Manifesto. The manifesto has been brought out with the help of various documents prepared by various people and organisations at different times. It will be finalised by the next Himalayan Day on September 9, 2011. This …
Meticulous reconstruction of the former extent of a glacier high in the mountains of New Zealand will help in interpreting global-scale climatic adjustments that occurred at the end of the last glaciation.
This feasibility study concludes that time is limited in terms of coping with dramatic challenges to livelihoods in the region. A cross-boundary collaborative programme needs to prioritise and focus on adaptation already by 2011
This publication aims at providing an improved understanding of sea-level rise and variability to reduce the uncertainties associated with projections for sea-level rise, and hence contribute to more effective coastal planning and management. It presents a synthesis of the findings and recommendations from the discussion of position papers from a …
Snow and glacial melt are important hydrologic process in the Himalayan basins and changes in temperature and precipitation are expected to seriously affect the melt characteristics. Melt water is extremely important in the Indus basin and important for the Brahmaputra basin.
US $1 TRILLION WORTH OF MINERALS Afghanistan is suddenly richThe Pentagon recently announced that Afghanistan is sitting on mineral wealth worth US $1 trillion—about 1,000 times the government’s annual revenue. The untapped mineral deposits, including iron, copper, cobalt, gold and lithium, a key raw material for laptop, cell phone and …
To examine changes in the wintertime seasonal (December, January and February) temperature and precipitation over the Siachen Glacier, one of the largest glaciers outside the polar region, an analysis of its temperature and precipitation indices is planned. In the present study, temperature and precipitation indices over a period of 23 …
