Dr Gyan Pathak
Though the rate of melting and retreating of Himalayan Glaciers has doubled since 2000 at the rate of 0.5 m per year compared to 0.25 m per year in the earlier 25 years between 1975 and 2000, there is no comprehensive information about the volume loss of glaciers in the Indian Himalayan Region, despite the phenomenon poses a significant threat to the water security in India.
Referring to a recent study conducted across India, China, Nepal and Bhutan, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources under the Ministry of Jal Shakti, Department of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation has pointed out that all glaciers, except for some in the Karakoram, are melting and retreating at threatening speed.
The committee assessing the “Glacier Management in the Country – Monitoring of Glaciers/Lakes including Glacial Lake Outbursts leading to Flash-floods in the Himalayan Region” heard the explanation of the incessant problem given by the authorities that may be shocking to many, for they said Geological Survey of India (GSI) has not even conducted specific studies on estimated volume loss of glaciers between 1950 and 2022 and also not projected any estimate of loss by the year 2100.
However, since inception of Glaciology Division in 1974, GSI has conducted studies on melting of the glaciers by assessment of mass balance studies on nine glaciers and also carried out monitoring the recession/ advancement of 76 glaciers. Majority of Himalayan glaciers are observed melting/ retreating at varying rates in different regions.
On being asked about the impact of melting of glaciers on the sea-level rise both in short term and long the department of water resources just quoted the IPCC report of 2021 that says that the glaciers of Hindu Kush Himalaya are shrinking and the snow cover has been reducing since the early 21st century and glaciers have also been thinned, retreated and lost mass since the 1970s.
Further, the IPCC report said, the global mean sea level is rising at a rate of around 3.7 mm/yr, as per the estimates made between 2006 and 2008. In the long term, the melting of glaciers also contributes to the sea level rising and threatens to submerge some coastal cities in the country. In short term, the sea level rise may cause the change in rainfall pattern and seasonal flooding in the coastal areas.
Moreover, the melting of glaciers may lead to shift of trees in the Himalayas and may also cause change in phonological behaviour of plants, the authorities explained while pointing out that it may impact the livelihoods of mountain people and downstream populations. Such changes may lead to negative impact on biodiversity conservation and ecosystem services of the Himalaya.
It should be noted that glaciers are important components of the hydrological cycles of the Indian Himalayan region as these are the source of three large river system – the Indus, the Ganges, and the Brahmaputra. As for the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region, it is known as ‘Water Towers of Asia’. Moreover, these river systems and associated groundwater forms a significant water resource for India. Glaciers also ensure availability of water even in post-monsoon period as the base flow of the glacial stream, besides ground water contribution in the perennial river systems. According to a 2009 GSI publication, Himalayan Glaciers had a total of 1302.1 cubic km of ice volume, which is equivalent to about 1110 cu km of water, locked up in glacierised basins of Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra. However, specific information about separate volume of ice and snow water is not available.
The Committee also took note of the frequent disasters in the Himalayan regions viz. landslides, cloudburst, landslide lake outburst floods, and glacial lake outburst flood in the recent past as Chamoli district of Uttarakhand has suffered in 2021. It was also concerned about the impact of Black Carbon on the Himalayan Glaciers, that has stated faster melting of the glaciers.
In response, it was submitted by the department, “Formation of atmospheric aerosol layers consisting of black carbon particles up to 5km elevation near mid and alpine Himalaya results in the so-called ‘elevated heat pump effect’ inevitably forcing the current state of Himalayan climate dynamical system to substantially change the mean variability. Black carbon absorbs more light and emits infra-red radiation that increases the temperature. Therefore, an increase in black carbon in the high Himalayas contribute to the faster melting of glaciers”. Though, some research has been conducted, however, detailed research is required for complete understanding of the black carbon emissions in the Himalayas, they said.
It has been revealed in the report that Karakoram region is warming faster than global mean by 0.5 degree Celsius. This has been estimated by DST, however, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has not conducted any study or awarded any project on warming of Himalayan Glaciers. The Union Ministry of Earth Sciences has estimated that India’s mean temperature has risen by nearly 0.7 degree Celsius during 1901-2018.
Union Ministry of Environment and Forest informed that the smaller Himalayan glaciers are more sensitive to climate change and their shrinkage rate is higher than the larger glaciers. However, a comprehensive study is needed to be carried out, Union Ministry of Water resources has said.
An analysis of cold days and cold nights in J&K and Himachal Pradesh has revealed that for most of the stations studied the number of warm days is increasing and cold days decreasing. Similar pattern of increase and decrease of warm and cold nights are also observed. The reduction of cold days is noted to be approximately 2 to 6 per cent within a 30-year period. However, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest has not conducted any study or awarded any project on extreme cold days and cold nights attributed to climate change in the Himalaya.
The Committee’s attention was also drawn to the 2018 NITI Aayog report that has already warned that almost 60 per cent of water sources in the Indian Himalayan region were on the verge of drying up and recommended launching of National Spring Water Management Programme for the Himalayan Region. As for the steps taken, a database has been created for 12 Himalayan states in India, and is available as web based service portal. No more steps informed to have been taken.
It may also be shocking to know that the Committee have been informed that the details of the Legislative Framework in regard to management of glaciers are not even available in Central Water Commission, notified as the nodal agency for management for glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs) in October 2020. It would be further shocking to know that in a meeting held in April 2021, the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti had informed that the “Himalayan Cryosphere’ is not even specifically mentioned in the Allocation of Business Rules.
India has many agencies for monitoring the situation, but the report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee exposes the lack of coordination and effective glacier management. Not only the Himalayan Region but also the entire country is threatened with numerous hazards including water and food insecurity. (IPA)
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