Amit Sharma
As per World Meteorological Organization, Glaciers dropped about 600 gigatons of water in 2023, the most substantial loss in last 5 decades. Glaciers occupy an important role in the Earth’s cryosphere by storing freshwater and affecting both local and global temperature trends. Glaciers are essential to maintaining river systems, agriculture, and livelihoods in the Indian Himalayan region, especially in Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh. The theme of World Water Day 2025 is “Glacier Preservation”. In this piece, I want to share my key observations about the dynamics, behavior, and preservation tactics of glaciers, with a particular emphasis on the J&K and Ladakh regions. J&K and Ladakh posses hundreds of glaciers, primarily in the Karakoram, Zanskar, Pir Panjal, and Ladakh ranges which includes Siachen, Pangong, Drang drung, Pensilungpa, Machoi, Kolahoi etc. The destiny of the Himalayan glaciers has been the subject of much debate over the last ten years, particularly in light of the significance of future water supply scenarios and the effects of associated glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Nonetheless, this conversation has brought to light important gaps in our understanding and discrepancies in projections about the future of the Himalayan glaciers. The scarcity of insitu data, which frequently prevents its application and interpretation, is one of the major obstacles to studying Himalayan glaciers. Because changes in climate variables like temperature and precipitation can be directly connected to changes in glacier dynamics, such as mass balance, thickness, and velocity. Understanding how glacial melt water affects rising sea levels, how different ice masses react to climate change, and even how regional and municipal water management is impacted, requires monitoring the shifting patterns of glaciers. The lack of on-site measurements is still a major problem, even with improvements in remote sensing and numerical modeling approaches. This is largely because of the challenging terrain and remote, high-altitude locations of the glaciers. In the past, intrusive techniques like coring and borehole surveys were frequently used to examine the subsurface conditions in glacial regions. However, these methods have drawbacks since they can interfere with subsurface natural processes and are costly and logistically difficult.
Glaciers in Western Ladakh (WL) have more debris on their surface compared to those in Eastern Ladakh (EL). While debris can sometimes slow down melting, rising temperatures have had a stronger impact, especially on the lower, flatter parts of these glaciers. Research shows that the slope of the glacier also plays a big role in how much ice is lost, explaining about 30-42% of the differences in melting between the two regions. Over the past 20 years, WL glaciers have lost more ice than EL glaciers. Studies on debris-covered glaciers worldwide show that the average debris thickness is about 0.15 meters, based on data from 22 glaciers. When debris is considered, melting under the debris is reduced by about 37%, which can affect the region’s ice loss by up to 0.40 meters of water equivalent per year. As glaciers in the Himalayas shrink due to climate change, new lakes are forming behind piles of loose rock and debris (called moraines). These lakes can be dangerous because if their natural dams break, they can cause severe floods. Additionally, these lakes can speed up glacier melting and make ice loss happen even faster over time. Rising temperatures in the western Himalayas are causing glaciers to shrink and leading to the formation and expansion of lakes near glaciers. Researchers have studied glacier changes using fieldwork and satellite data, looking at factors like glacier size, length, height, and slope. Their findings show that smaller, steeper glaciers melt faster than larger, flatter ones. Studies on glacier changes also focus on how debris (rock and dirt) affects ice loss. Clean, debris-free glaciers are retreating faster and losing more area, while glaciers covered in debris show slower ice loss at the front but still shrink in overall size.
Studies show that most Himalayan glaciers are retreating at a rate of 5 to 20 meters per year, with ice loss ranging from 0.2 to 1.2 meters of water equivalent per year. The elevation where glaciers remain stable (ELA) varies between 4,900 and 5,300 meters above sea level. Since glaciers are important indicators of climate change, it is crucial to monitor their changes in mass, volume, area, and length over time. However, despite their importance, there is still limited knowledge about how Himalayan glaciers behave and what factors influence them. Research shows that glaciers in different parts of the Himalayas melt at different rates, mainly due to variations in landscape and climate. However, inconsistent retreat rates and a lack of field data on ice loss, thickness, and movement make it difficult to get a clear understanding of how climate change is affecting them. Different methods used to study glaciers may give slightly different results, but they all show that Himalayan glaciers are getting thinner and losing a lot of ice. This affects how much ice moves and how much water flows into rivers. Recent research shows that glacier thinning has speed up over the past 40 years, mainly due to rising temperatures and increased heat from the atmosphere. In the Zanskar Himalaya, glaciers are shrinking mostly because of warmer temperatures and less snowfall. Even though there has been a slight increase in precipitation, it is not enough to make up for the ice loss caused by higher temperatures. As air temperatures keep rising-following global trends-glaciers will melt even faster. This could also change snowfall patterns, with more rain instead of snow at higher altitudes, affecting how glaciers grow in the summer.
Glacier retreat in the Western Himalayas has great consequences, impacting water resources, ecosystems, local communities, and disaster risks. Major river systems receive their melt water from the Himalayan glaciers. As a result of their withdrawal, there is less water available for hydropower and agriculture. Energy generation is unpredictable due to seasonal fluctuations. Further ice loss is accelerated by glacier melt, which both raises sea levels and warms the region. Temperature increases are amplified by variations in albedo (IPCC, 2021). River ecosystems are disturbed and habitat for animals like the snow leopard is lost as a result of glacier retreat. The impact of increasing river temperatures and shifting sediments on freshwater biodiversity is drastic and unfit for survival. In the Himalayas, especially in Ladakh, tourism is mostly reliant on snow-covered scenery and glaciers. Trekking and skiing businesses are suffering as glaciers recede, with glacier-related tourism in Ladakh declining, according to the Government of India’s Ministry of Tourism (2023).
In order to lessen the effects of glacier decline and guarantee longevity, environmentally friendly policies, scientific discoveries, and community-based projects are essential. The main cause of global warming, greenhouse gas emissions must be reduced by governments through the implementation of robust climate policies. The necessity of group action is emphasized by international accords like the Paris Climate Accord. Enforceable policies are needed to support regional glacier protection initiatives and India’s National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).
For the purpose of comprehending retreat trends and forecasting future hazards, ongoing glacier surveillance is essential. Unmanned aerial vehicles, ground-based research, and satellite remote sensing aid in tracking glacier changes and identifying early warning indicators of glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Climate models and policy responses will be enhanced by increasing research on the interactions between ice thickness, melt rates, and debris cover. Data collection and analysis are vitally dependent on organisations such as the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) & National Remote Sensing Center (NRSC). For glacier protection to be successful, local communities must be empowered. Sustainable techniques can be developed with the use of contemporary science and traditional wisdom. In order to alleviate water scarcity, projects like Ladakh’s “Ice Stupas” build artificial glaciers to store winter ice for use in the summer. Deterioration of the ecosystem can be minimized and reliance on glacier-fed water reduced through ecotourism, sustainable agriculture, and alternate sources of income.
It can be concluded that Glacier retreat in the Himalayas, particularly in J&K and Ladakh, threatens water resources, ecosystems, and local communities. Rising temperatures and reduced snowfall accelerate ice loss, impacting river flows, agriculture, hydropower, and biodiversity. The formation of glacial lakes increases flood risks, while tourism declines due to shrinking snow cover. Limited field data hinders accurate predictions. Addressing glacier loss requires strong climate policies, advanced monitoring, sustainable water management, and community-driven initiatives like artificial glaciers. Collaborative efforts from governments, scientists, and local populations are essential to mitigate the effects of glacier retreat and ensure long-term environmental and economic stability.
(The author is Research Scholar Department of Geology University of Jammu)
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