Himalayan glaciers melting twice as fast, doubling river volumes
The research, which examined the entire Himalayan range and its river systems, builds on earlier projections that glaciers in High Mountain Asia could lose between 29% and 67% of their mass by 2100. 'Increased river discharge offers short-term benefits such as more water for hydropower and agriculture, but it also signals sediment increase and glacier loss,' said Jonathan Flores, an engineer at the University of Massachusetts and the study's lead author. 'If these glaciers continue to shrink, their meltwater contribution to river systems will decline, threatening long-term water availability downstream.'The short-term surge in water supports agriculture, electricity generation, and domestic use, but it also increases sediment loads—sand, silt, and gravel—that can clog hydropower turbines and disrupt sensitive aquatic ecosystems.'The natural aquatic habitat can be altered by this increasing trend, and ecosystems that were previously stable can be changed,' Flores added.The study found that rivers in the western Himalayas have experienced greater increases in discharge than those in the east, which are primarily rain-fed.Researchers stress that this data can help guide smarter dam construction and sediment management strategies, particularly in the western Himalayas, where hydropower is a lifeline for local communities.- EndsMust Watch
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India Today
20 hours ago
- India Today
Himalayan glaciers melting twice as fast, doubling river volumes
Rapid glacier melt caused by global warming has doubled the number of rivers in the Himalayan region over the past decade, according to a study published in AGU Advances.A surge in river volume has been recorded in at least 10% of the region, affecting major rivers such as the Indus, Yangtze, Amu Darya, and Syr these rivers are sustained by glaciers, snow, and rain, climate change has significantly altered their flow patterns. The effects are mixed—providing both benefits and risks to millions of people who depend on The research, which examined the entire Himalayan range and its river systems, builds on earlier projections that glaciers in High Mountain Asia could lose between 29% and 67% of their mass by 2100. 'Increased river discharge offers short-term benefits such as more water for hydropower and agriculture, but it also signals sediment increase and glacier loss,' said Jonathan Flores, an engineer at the University of Massachusetts and the study's lead author. 'If these glaciers continue to shrink, their meltwater contribution to river systems will decline, threatening long-term water availability downstream.'The short-term surge in water supports agriculture, electricity generation, and domestic use, but it also increases sediment loads—sand, silt, and gravel—that can clog hydropower turbines and disrupt sensitive aquatic ecosystems.'The natural aquatic habitat can be altered by this increasing trend, and ecosystems that were previously stable can be changed,' Flores study found that rivers in the western Himalayas have experienced greater increases in discharge than those in the east, which are primarily stress that this data can help guide smarter dam construction and sediment management strategies, particularly in the western Himalayas, where hydropower is a lifeline for local communities.- EndsMust Watch
New Indian Express
3 days ago
- New Indian Express
Unchecked construction fuelling rise in natural disasters in Uttarakhand: Scientists
DEHRADUN: Unchecked human intervention in sensitive Himalayan states like Uttarakhand is ringing alarm bells for nature, transforming pristine beauty into a breeding ground for disaster. Rapid, uncontrolled construction in these ecologically fragile mountainous regions, rich in natural beauty and biodiversity, is not merely disturbing the environmental balance but is now directly fuelling a surge in natural calamities. Senior scientists at Nainital's Aryabhatta Research Institute of Observational Sciences (ARIES) assert that the haphazard construction of buildings and roads is profoundly impacting the delicate Himalayan ecosystem. Experts explain that mountain soil is inherently fragile. Large-scale excavation and construction not only diminish the soil's natural water retention capacity but also destabilise the delicate climatic system. This disturbance is having a direct and alarming impact on regional weather patterns. Notably, there's been a significant increase in 'local cloud formation' – an unusual accumulation of clouds at lower altitudes in mountainous areas. These low-lying clouds are prone to sudden, intense bursts of rainfall, leading to a surge in devastating cloudburst incidents.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
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Experts blame decades of deodar tree felling for worsening Uttarkashi clouburst
DEHRADUN: Decades of indiscriminate felling of deodar trees are being squarely blamed by both scientists and local residents for the devastating scale of the August 5 cloudburst tragedy in Dharali, Uttarkashi. As central and state government expert agencies launch intensive probes into the catastrophic rain-induced event that swiftly plunged the region into mourning, a consensus is emerging that extensive deodar loss directly magnified the disaster's ferocity. Scientists unequivocally state that had Dharali retained its historical deodar forest cover, the impact of this calamity would have been significantly reduced, if not negligible. Deodar trees possess a unique and crucial characteristic: their dense, intricate root systems are vital for binding soil, preventing erosion, and effectively impeding the downward flow of debris and water during torrential rains or landslides. Dr Ajay Singh Rawat, an internationally acclaimed environmentalist and author-historian renowned for his extensive work on Uttarakhand's environment, emphasized the gravity of the situation in an exclusive interaction. 'The Dharali tragedy should serve as a serious lesson for us,' Rawat asserted. 'Deodar trees play an absolutely crucial role in environmental protection and in binding the very soil of these vulnerable Himalayan regions.' Dr Rawat, who has penned several authoritative books on Uttarakhand's forests and ecological challenges, offered a poignant historical perspective. 'Once, the high and trans-Himalayan regions of Uttarakhand – specifically areas above 2,000 meters above sea level – were densely forested with deodar trees,' he explained. 'An average of 400 to 500 deodar trees populated every square kilometre.' 'Whether it was a cloudburst or a landslide,' Rawat underscored, 'the inherent qualities of deodar trees prevented debris and water from cascading downwards unchecked.' The devastating natural disaster in Dharali has surprisingly cast a spotlight on Frederick Wilson, a British East India Company soldier who arrived in the region 185 years ago. Escaping Company rigidity in the 1840s, Wilson found refuge in Garhwal's remote Harsil. He is credited with revolutionizing the region's economy by pioneering the lucrative deodar timber trade, ingeniously floating logs down the Bhagirathi River.
