Himalayan glaciers retreating at varying rates, says Union Minister

Source: The post is based on the article “Himalayan glaciers retreating at varying rates, says Union Minister”  published in PIB on 20th July 2023

What is the News?

The Union Minister of Earth Sciences has said that the majority of Himalayan glaciers analyzed are melting or retreating at varying rates in different regions.

Melting of Himalayan Glaciers:

Chandra Basin in Western Himalayas: National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) has been monitoring six glaciers in the Chandra basin in western Himalaya since 2013. 

– A state-of-the-art field research station ‘Himansh’ established in Chandra basin and operational since 2016 for conducting field experiments and expeditions to glaciers.

– NCPOR has found that the Chandra basin has lost about 6% of its glacial area during last 20 years.

Garhwal Himalayas: Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology (WIHG) has been pursuing cryospheric research on different aspects that include glacier dynamics, hydrology and hazards using both satellite data and ground-based observations.

WIHG have observed that glaciers in the Garhwal Himalaya have shown an overall retreat of glaciers with variable rate of melting.

Himalayan Karakoram region: Indian Space Research Organization’s (ISRO’s) Space Application Centre (SAC) has mapped 5234 glaciers of Himalayan-Karakoram (H-K) region which indicated varied loss in glacier area in the region. 

Why are the Himalayan Glaciers melting?

The melting of glaciers is a natural process and cannot be controlled. The recession or melting of glaciers is mainly caused by global warming and climate change. 

Therefore, the rate of melting of glaciers can’t be prevented or slowed down, unless all the factors responsible for global warming and climate change can be controlled.

What is the impact of melting of Himalayan Glaciers?

Melting of Glaciers will not only severely affect the flow in Himalayan river system but will also give rise to natural disasters.

It may also lead to shift of tree line in the Himalaya and may also cause change in phonological behavior of plants. It may also impact the livelihoods of mountain people and downstream populations.