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, …
the decreasing snow cover in Southwest Asia and the Himalaya is threatening marine life in central and western parts of the Arabian Sea, which lie thousands of kilometres (km) away. According to a study published in Science (April 22, Vol 308, No 5721), reduced winter and spring snow cover in …
WWF sees the impacts of climate change on glaciers and its subsequent impact on freshwater as a major issue, not just in the national context but also at a regional, transboundary level. The WWF offices in Nepal, India and China are taking the initiative to develop a regional collaboration to …
Verinag, Kukarnag, Sukhnag. For centuries, natural springs have crisscrossed the valley, providing clear mountain water. Some, like Malakhnag and Kokernag, are renowned for their healing properties. Anantnag (literally,
lethal teflon: The US Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has charged the DuPont company with hiding the adverse health and environmental effects of Teflon, used in its non-stick cookware and carpet protection product. In doing so, the company violated the federal Toxic Substances Control Act from June 1981 to March 2001, …
the major rivers of northern India and Pakistan will flow strongly for the next 40 years, but thereafter they will be reduced to a mere trickle. This is the message of the first decade-by-decade analysis of the rivers, which are fed by the glaciers of the Himalaya. The analysis has …
function glacier() { var popurl="html/20040331_glacier.htm" winpops=window.open(popurl,"","width=350,height=400,scrollbars=yes") } even as the Indian scientific community continues to haggle over the extent of global warming impact on the Himalayan ice-fields, a study indicates that four glaciers of the Baspa basin of Himachal Pradesh face terminal retreat. In other words they may dry up. …
Ladakh was opened to tourism in 1971. Since then the tourist inflow has increased several times over (see graph: Welcome to Ladakh). Though Ladakh gets more foreign tourists, domestic tourists have increased recently. The biggest tourist activity is trekking and jeep safaris; the biggest tourist attractions of Ladakh are its …
In Ladakhi, lango khel means conquering the highest point of a pass in the mountains. In Ladakhi schools, it means the matriculation (class X) examination. From 1947 to 1998, matriculation results in Leh district hovered between 0-5 per cent. The reasons are not difficult to fathom. Children grew up speaking …
Life in a cold desert is harsh and exacting. You need enormous amounts of energy for everything, but there are very few sources. Getting electricity to light up houses in Leh is no easy task. About two-thirds of the power supply in the summer comes from diesel generator sets (DG) …
It is widely accepted that panchayati raj is shaping up much better in Leh as compared to other districts of J&K.; The first real panchayat elections in the state were held only in May 2001. Even then, modalities of decentralisation of power to elected village representatives were not issued. After …
The most remarkable aspect of the developmental challenges in Leh district is the small margin for error. Resources are highly limited. Ladakh's ecology is fragile. Unbridled tourism will imperil the pastures of Changthang that support the pashmina goats and the Changpa nomads. The good news from Leh is that the …
What has been the impact of the Public Distribution System (PDS) on Ladakhi agriculture? The subsidy culture has definitely killed local agriculture in Ladakh. What international trade distortions are doing to Indian agriculturethe subsidy system is doing to Ladakhi agriculture. It is exactly the same as industrialised countries dumping their …
Padma Wangyal, 29, is quite an exception. His grandfather pioneered the cooperative societies movement in Ladakhi agriculture. In a region where the average landholding is a mere 1.38 hectares, Wangyal's family owns about 20 hectares. Wangyal attended school and college in Delhi. Like most young Ladakhis, he dreamt of joining …
In Ladakh, the rest of India is referred to as down . Because, at no point in Leh district would you be less than about three kilometres above the mean sea level. This vast barren district is more than 45,000 square kilometre (sq km); it is perhaps India's largest and …
