Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps

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June 21, 2023 Current emissions path threatens two billion people and is accelerating species extinction, says a report by ICIMOD
Building weather station on Yala glacier in Nepal which collects meteorological data that helps ICIMOD researchers model glacial melt and accumulation. (Image: Jitendra Raj Bajracharya/ICIMOD)
February 12, 2021 The havoc points to the faultlines in the developmental planning of ecologically sensitive areas.
The glacial burst in Chamoli is nature’s way of telling the state not to play havoc with the local ecology. (Image: Down to Earth)
February 10, 2021 The Uttarakhand disaster reaffirms earlier warnings on the fragility of the Himalayan region calling for more careful planning and preparedness in the future!
A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
December 6, 2019 Dr. Aradhana Yaduvanshi, a hydro meteorologist at WOTR, talks to us about what current research on global warming shows, and possible adaptation and coping mechanisms.
Flooding in Mumbai during the monsoons (Image Source: Wikimedia Commons)
December 6, 2019 A report by the India Rivers Forum highlights the need to focus further than the main stem of the Ganga river.
Distant snow clad mountains, the smaller hills and the Ganga river (Image: Srimoyee Banerjee, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0)
November 6, 2019 The number of people vulnerable to floods triggered by climate change by 2050 is triple that of previous estimates, according to a new study.
Aerial view of Chennai during floods 2015 (Image: Veethika, Wikimedia Commons, CC-SA 4.0 International)
The Himalayan glaciers shrink
A study suggests water towers of Asia contain less water than estimated. Posted on 19 Feb, 2019 03:07 PM

The Himalayas are often called the water towers of Asia because of the vast amount of water locked in the form of ice in thousands of glaciers there. But concerns relating to climate change have often put a question mark on future water availability from these glaciers.

Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas might contain 27 percent less ice than previously believed. (Pic: IWP Flickr photos)
FAQ – Sediment management
A river is a body of flowing sediment as much as one of flowing water. Here’s all you want to know about sediment in action in rivers. Posted on 17 Jan, 2019 10:11 AM

What are sediments? Why do rivers carry sediment? Where does it all go? What happens to the sediment along the way? Have human actions modified the way a river works or carries sediment? How can sediments in rivers and reservoirs be managed? Here is all the information that you need to know about sediment and its management better.

A river becomes a checkerboard of water and silt. (Image: Ashok Boghani, CC BY-NC 2.0, Flickr Commons)
The unique Himalayan wetlands
The Himalayan wetlands are under threat due to unregulated urbanisation and unsustainable tourism. Urgent attention at the policy level is the need of the hour. Posted on 03 Nov, 2018 08:33 AM

Wetlands are very important and productive ecosystems that support a wide range of plants and animals and provide livelihood opportunities to local communities in India.

A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Glacial lake keeps disaster managers on toes in Sikkim
An experiment to siphon off water from glacial lakes to avoid floods from lake outbursts may soon prove to be successful. Posted on 02 Oct, 2018 12:30 PM

Disasters managers and scientists in Sikkim are keeping a close watch on a lake formed due to the melting of glaciers to see how successful is an experiment they began two years back to siphon off excess water from the lake to prevent it from bursting.

South Lhonak lake (Pic by ISW)
Disappearing waters of The Himalayas
A photo exhibition focuses on the changing lifestyles of local communities in the Himalayas with changes in their environment. Posted on 14 May, 2018 12:01 PM

Delhi’s Jor Bagh metro station is the site of an ongoing photographic exhibition with thought-provoking images and narratives exploring escalating water crises Indian and Nepal Himalayas face.

The photograph titled 'Nainital: Changing landscape in the Himalayas'. Image: Toby Smith, Pani-Pahar series
Uttarakhand braces itself for dry days
More than 1000 villages of the state are expected to be affected by a severe water crisis. Posted on 20 Apr, 2018 08:09 PM

Lokesh Verma, a farmer from Nainital’s Chanfi village, says this is the third year in a row that he is bearing losses in agriculture. “I have lost around Rs 2 lakh and there’s a debt of Rs 70,000 to pay off. I grow strawberries, guavas and peas in my 15 bighas of land, but there is not enough water in the hills to irrigate crops properly,” he says.

Lokesh Verma at his farm. (Pic courtesy: 101Reporters)
India Industry Water Conclave on Nov 28, 2017 at FICCI, New Delhi
The third edition of India Industry Water Conclave and fifth edition of FICCI Water Awards on Theme : ‘Water Use Efficiency- An Imperative for India’
Posted on 07 Nov, 2017 10:12 AM

The theme for the Conclave this year is “Water Use Efficiency: An Imperative for India” to highlight the imperative of water use efficiency in the industry, agriculture and urban contexts

Small Himalayan glaciers more sensitive to climate change
A new study in the Himalayas shows low-altitude glaciers are more sensitive to climate change and have lost a significant amount of water in the past decades. Posted on 04 Sep, 2017 08:36 PM

Glaciers in the Himalayas, which store large amounts of water in the form of glacial ice, have an intricate relationship with climate change. A new study in an important basin in the Indian Himalayas shows that low-altitude glaciers are more sensitive to climate change and have lost a significant amount of water in the past three decades.

A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Artificial reefs to save sinking islands
A new technique of using artificial reefs could save islands from sinking due to sea-level rise and climate change. Posted on 07 Aug, 2017 05:12 AM

Sinking islands may become a reality with sea-level rise and climate change in decades to come. Tamil Nadu has hit upon a novel idea to protect such islands on its coast--deployment of artificial reefs near vulnerable islands.

Artificial reefs get immersed in the sea. (Source: India Science Wire)
Uttarakhand to conserve its natural resources
Policy matters this week Posted on 04 Apr, 2017 06:21 AM

Uttarakhand takes decisions to save its natural resources

The Ganga emerges from the Gangotri glacier in Uttarakhand. (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
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