[Reader-list] Fwd: Climate change in Ladakh

[ravleen saluja]

Hi,
Just wanted to point out an error in this piece, which might have been a
typo, but does make a difference. Ms Shiva says:

"The Gangotri glacier, the source of the Ganga is receding at 20-23 miles
per
year. Millam glacier is receding at 30m/yr, Dokrani is retreating at
15-20m/yr."

The total length of Gangotri is 30 kms so it possibly cannot be receding at
the rate of 20-23 miles per year. When I went to Gaumukh, researchers at the
field stations of various departments posted there told me that it is
anything between 5-15 metres per year. Back in Delhi, even this estimate has
been exaggerated but its certainly not 20-23 miles per year. I am not saying
at all that global warming is not taking place but such figurative error can
sensationalise the situation unneccarily.

regards

ravleen

On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 2:33 PM, Nagraj Adve <nagraj.adve at gmail.com> wrote:

> A rather significant piece, by Vandana Shiva, on climate change impacts in
> Ladakh.
> Naga
>
>
> Climate Change at the Third Pole
>
>
>
> May 16, 2009 By *Vandana Shiva
> *
> Vandana Shiva's ZSpace Page / ZSpace
>
>
> I write from Ladakh, where we are studying the impact of climate change and
> evolving participatory adaptation and disaster preparedness strategies with
> local communities.
>
> The melting of snow in the Arctic and Antartic due to global warming and
> climate change is reported frequently. However, the melting of the
> Himalayan
> glaciers goes largely unreported, even though more people are impacted.
>
> Presently 10% of the earth's landmass is covered with snow, with 84.16% in
> the Antartic, 13.9% in Greenland, 0.77% in the Himalaya, 0.51% in North
> America, 0.37% in Africa, 0.15% in South America, 0.06% in Europe. Outside
> the polar region, Himalaya has the maximum concentration of glaciers. 9.04%
> of the Himalaya is covered with glaciers, with 30-40% additional area being
> covered with snow.
>
> The glaciers of the Himalaya are the Third Pole. They feed the giant rivers
> of Asia, and support half of humanity.
>
> In Ladakh, the northern most region of India, all life depends on snow.
> Ladakh is a high altitude desert with only 50mm of rainfall. Ladakh's water
> comes from the snow melt - both the snow that falls on the land and
> provides
> the moisture for farming and pastures, as well as the snow of the glaciers
> that gently melts and feeds the streams that are the lifeline of the tiny
> settlements.
>
> For centuries snow has supported human survival in Ladakh.
>
> Climate change is changing this. Less snow is falling, so there is less
> moisture for growing crops. In village after village, we are witnessing the
> end of farming where snow melt on the fields was the only source of
> moisture.
>
> Reduced snowfall also means less snow in glaciers, and less streamflow. The
> shorter period of snowfall prevents the snow from turning into hard ice
> crystals. Therefore more of the glacier is liable to melt when the summer
> comes.
>
> Climate change has also led to rain, rather than snow, falling even at
> higher altitudes. This also accelerates the melting of glaciers.
>
> Meantime, heavy rainfall which was unknown in the high altitude desert has
> become more frequent, causing flash floods, washing away homes and fields,
> trees and livestock. Climate refugees are already being created in the
> Himalaya in villages such as Rongjuk. As one of the displaced women said
> "when we see the black clouds, we feel afraid."
>
> The arrival of black clouds and disappearance of white snow in the cold
> desert is how climate change is entering the life of the Ladakhi
> communities. They did not cause the pollution, but they are its victims.
> This is the direct and cruel face of climate injustice - the polluters
> continue to pollute, they are insulated from the impact of their own
> actions. Others, thousands of miles away bear the brunt of greenhouse gas
> pollution.
>
> India has 5243 glaciers covering an area of 37579 km2 and containing 142.88
> km2 of ice.
>
> The Gangotri glacier, the source of the Ganga is receding at 20-23 miles
> per
> year. Millam glacier is receding at 30m/yr, Dokrani is retreating at
> 15-20m/yr. The receding of glaciers has accelerated with global warming.
> The
> rate of retreat of the gangotri glacier has tripled in the last three
> years.
> Some of the most devastating effects of glacial meltdown occures when
> glacial lakes overflow and the phenomena of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods
> (GLOFs) take place.
>
> Climate change thus initially leads to widespread flooding, but over time,
> as the snow disappears there will be draught in the summer. In the Ganga,
> the loss of glacier meltdown would reduce July - September flows by two
> thirds, causing water shortages for 500 million people and 37 percent of
> India's irrigated land.
>
> Glacial runoff in the Himalayas is the largest source of fresh water for
> nothern India and provides more than half the water to the Ganga. Glacial
> runoff is also the source of the Indus, the Brahmaputra, the Mekong, the
> Irrawady and the Yellow and Yantze rivers.
>
> According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC),
> "glaciers
> in the Himayalas are receding faster than in any other part of the world
> and
> if the present rate continues, the likelihood of them disappearing by the
> year 2035 and perhaps sooner is very high if the earth keep getting warmer
> at the current rate". According to the IPCC report the total area of
> glaciers in the Himalaya will shrink from 193051 square miles to 38,000
> square miles by 2035.
>
> The lives of billions are at stake. That is why we have started a
> participatory process for Himalayan communities to engage in the discussion
> on climate change, including issues of climate justice, adaptation and
> disaster preparedness.
>
> In terms of numbers of people impacted, climate change at the Third Pole is
> the most far reaching. And no climate change policy or treaty will be
> complete without including the Himalayan communities.
>
> The Government of India has set up a National Climate Action Plan which has
> eight missions. One of the missions is for sustaining the Himalayan
> Ecosystem. However, the Himalayan communities are missing in the mission.
> As
> the Action Plan states "A mission for sustaining the Himalayan ecosystem
> will be launched to evolve management measures for sustaining and
> safeguarding the Himalayan glacier and mountain ecosystem. Himalayas, being
> the source of key perennial rives, the Mission would, inter-alia, seek to
> understand, whether and the extent to which, the Himalayan glaciers are in
> recession and how the problem could be addressed. This will require the
> joint effort of climatologists, glaciologists and other experts."
>
> People only get introduced to protect forests "community based management
> of
> these ecosystems will be promoted with incentives to community
> organizations
> and panchayats for protection and enhancement of forested lands".
>
> However climate change is about more than forests. It is about flash floods
> and draught, it is about planning for a future which is not like today. For
> this people need to be partners in monitoring and planning. No government
> machinery, no matter how sophisticated, can know every mountain, every
> glacier, every stream, and every field. People are experts on local
> ecosystems and the changes in their ecosystems due to a destabilized
> climate. It is this expertise which needs to be mobilized in order to
> evolve
> timely strategies for adaption.
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-- 
Ravleen Kaur
Senior Reporter
Down to Earth
Centre for Science and Environment
41, Tughlakabad Institutional Area
New Delhi-110062