Question

conclusion of Himalayan region

Answer 1

The climate and hydrology of the HKH region are changing. There are many important uncertainties about the current state of physical and social systems in the region in addition to the uncertainties about the future. However, not everything is uncertain or unknown. It is important to consider the impact of glacial retreat on regional water resources in the larger, hydroclimatic and social context of the HKH region. The effects of climate changes on glacier dynamics will affect both the supply and demand for water in the Himalayan region, and these changes will, in turn, affect the vulnerability of key populations to freshwater problems. Glacial retreat is only one factor that contributes to changes in the hydrological cycle, and the relative importance of glacial meltwater varies across the region and between seasons. In most instances, the contribution to surface-water discharge of snowmelt exceeds that of glacial melt. Glacial melt does contribute to the water flow in major rivers such as the Ganges and Indus, but for low-lying areas such as the Gangetic Plain, at much lower percentages than thought several years ago. The effect of glacial retreat will be most evident during the dry season, particularly in the west. In all seasons, changes in many regions are likely to be dominated by shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of precipitation (both rain and snow) rather than glacial retreat. Glacial meltwater is not a major contributor for river systems to the east but is more important for river systems to the west. Kaltenborn et al. (2010) conclude that,

In general, the impact of melting glaciers on the seasonal distribution of river flow is greatest where (i) ice melt occurs during a dry season; (ii) glacier meltwater flows into semi-arid areas; and/or (iii) small annual temperature cycles mean that there is little seasonal variation in snow cover. Conversely, the seasonal effect is smaller where there is significant precipitation during the melt season, such as the monsoonal central and eastern Himalaya.

Melting of glacial ice plays an important role in maintaining water security during times of drought or similar climate extremes. For example, in the European Alps during the drought year of 2003, glacial melt contributions to August discharge of the Danube River were about three times greater than the 100-year average (Huss, 2011). Thus, water stored as glacial ice is the region’s hydrological “insurance,” acting as a buffer against the hydrological impacts brought about by a changing climate, releasing the stored water to streams and rivers when it is most needed.

There may be normal, even increased, amounts of available meltwater to satisfy dry season needs because of the release of “insurance” water from storage in retreating glaciers for the next several decades (Barnett et al., 2005). To illustrate, the role of glacial wastage contributions to discharge under future warming scenarios was investigated for three highly glacierized catchments in the Alps that have long-term climate and discharge records (Huss et al., 2008). Annual runoff from the drainage basins shows an initial increase which is due to the release of water from glacial storage. After some decades, depending on catchment characteristics and the applied climate change scenario, runoff stabilizes and then drops below the current level. Retreating glaciers of the HKH in the short

Answer 2

Answer:

It can be concluded that the entire Uttarakhand Himalaya is facing enormous changes in the natural and cultural aspects. The major drivers of changes are warming of the valleys, climate variability, education, influence of modern culture on the traditional society and change in food habits.