Glacier Melting: The Looming Water Crisis in India
The rise in sea levels and unpredictable weather patterns await the Earth due to glacier melting. However, India faces another impending crisis, especially in Northern India, due to the Glaciers melting in the Himalayas. The Himalayan Mountains are the third-largest deposits of ice in the world after Antarctica and the Arctic. With 600 billion tonnes of ice deposited over millions of years, the Himalayan glaciers supply 800 million people with water for drinking, agriculture, and hydropower. Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and parts of India depend on rivers originating from the Himalayan glaciers for their very survival.
However, climate change is melting the ice sheets of the Himalayas at an unprecedented speed. As per reports released by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Himalayas could lose up to 80% of its glaciers by the end of the century if no measures are taken to curb climate change. Since the year 2000, glaciers have been shrinking at an average of 0.5 meters per year. The Himalayan region has seen a rise in temperature by 1.6 °C- 2 °C above pre-industrial level, as opposed to the global temperature rise of 1.1 oC. This has accelerated the loss of ice, leading to irreversible changes in the ice sheets.
Effects of Himalayan Glacier Melting
A study by ISRO states that 2,431 lakes larger than 10 hectares were identified during 2016-17, 676 glacial lakes have notably expanded since 1984, due to the melting of the ice. This can have disastrous effects on freshwater availability, agricultural patterns, wildlife, and the lives of communities.
- Flooding In the short term, Northern India and other regions fed by the Himalayan glaciers are likely to experience severe flooding. As glaciers melt, rivers are flooded, affecting humans, livestock, and crop production.
- Glacial Lake Outburst Floods A glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is a sudden, high-magnitude catastrophic release of water from a glacial lake, often caused by the failure of a dam made of ice or moraine (rocks and debris). These events can lead to devastating downstream flooding and damage. A GLOF in Sikkim in 2023 claimed more than 90 lives and destroyed a hydroelectric power plant.
- Droughts Due to glacier melting and the unpredictability of weather, monsoons are disrupted, leading to fewer ice deposits in the Himalayas. The Gangotri Glacier, source of the Ganges, has retreated by approximately 1,500 meters since 1935, with an annual recession rate of 10-22 meters. Other Himalayan Glacier, including Yamunotri, Pindar, and Sunder Dhunga Glacier, are also shrinking, impacting tributaries such as the Yamuna, Kali, and Ramganga rivers. The retreat of Himalayan glaciers will lead to reduced flow in the dry seasons, leading to devastating consequences for millions of people in South Asia.
- Deforestation Himalayan forests depend on rivers fed by the glaciers. Himalayas are home to many endangered fauna and flora, whose very existence will be further threatened by the unpredictable weather patterns awaiting the region in the next few decades.
- Sea Level Rise The rising sea levels will affect the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta and lead to the displacement of people in India and Bangladesh. The increase in salinity in the wetlands of the delta will make agricultural land unusable, which will lead to water and food scarcities in this highly populated region. The fauna and flora of the Sundarbans will also be affected negatively by rising sea levels, increased monsoon disruptions, and changing river discharge patterns due to flooding and droughts.
NEED OF THE HOUR
Apart from monitoring, efforts should be made to reduce deforestation, mining, fossil fuel usage, and other construction in the Himalayan region.
Sustainable lifestyle practices and a drive towards the conservation of resources should be promoted across the subcontinent. Water is a precious resource, and for this highly populated region, saving every drop counts, and responsible use is essential for our very survival.
