Glaciers and Polar Ice Caps

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

Uttarakhand takes decisions to save its natural resources