Uttarakhand's Panchachuli peaks face environmental crisis amid tourism surge
1 month, 1 week ago

Uttarakhand's Panchachuli peaks face environmental crisis amid tourism surge

New Indian Express  

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand's remote border district is experiencing a rise in tourism, but this boom is taking a toll on the environment. Increased human activity has led to accelerated snowmelt, resulting in significant degradation of the once-pristine Panchachuli mountain range, with environmentalists noting that the snow-capped peaks are now visibly blackened. Professor Sunil Nautiyal, Director of the GB Pant National Himalayan Environment Institute, revealed concerning research indicating that the rate of glacier melt in the Himalayas has increased two to three times between 1985 and 2000. He further stated that approximately 440 billion tons of ice have melted in the region over the past 40 years, raising alarm among scientists and highlighting the urgent need for environmental action. Over the past year, more than 28,000 pilgrims have visited the Himalayan regions for the Adi Kailash and Kailash mansarovar darshan, and this trend shows no signs of slowing down.

Environment Himalayan  kailash  peaks  surge  face  panchachuli  environment  tourism  past  increased  scientists  crisis  significant  human  uttarakhands  visited  himalayan  environmental  amid

History of this topic

Tourism surge spells environmental crisis in U’khand’s Panchachuli peaks
1 month, 1 week ago

Tourism surge spells environmental crisis in U’khand’s Panchachuli peaks

New Indian Express  

DEHRADUN: Uttarakhand’s Pithoragarh district is experiencing a rise in tourism, but this boom is taking a toll on the environment. Professor Sunil Nautiyal, Director of the GB Pant National Himalayan Environment Institute, said research indicated that the rate of glacier melt in the Himalayas increased two to three times between 1985 and 2000. “Around 440 billion tonnes of ice have …

'Global Warming' Or 'Too Many Tourists'? Debate Snowballs as 6,191-m Himalayan Peak Om Parvat Goes Bald
3 months, 3 weeks ago

'Global Warming' Or 'Too Many Tourists'? Debate Snowballs as 6,191-m Himalayan Peak Om Parvat Goes Bald

News 18  

Something unusual has happened in this monsoon season that has left locals in Uttarakhand perplexed. “In the past too, a portion of the mountain looked black when there was less snow but perhaps this is the first time when I am witnessing it without any snow at all,” says Harish Gunjiyal from Gunji village – the first Indian village from …

What are the findings of the 2024 Hindu Kush Himalayas snow update? | Explained
6 months ago

What are the findings of the 2024 Hindu Kush Himalayas snow update? | Explained

The Hindu  

The story so far: The Ganga river basin — India’s largest — reached a record low snow persistence in 2024, the Hindu Kush Himalaya snow update of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development has reported. The pattern of high temperatures and altered weather systems explains both the record low snow persistence in 2024 and similar historical records.” “We have …

Happy ending and a call for caution
1 year ago

Happy ending and a call for caution

Hindustan Times  

The nation heaved a collective sigh of relief when the last of the 41 labourers trapped in an under-construction tunnel in the Himalayas near Uttarkashi, the roof of which had collapsed 17 days earlier, was rescued on Tuesday night. This great escape was a story of human endurance, grit and ingenuity with a group of 14 artisanal miners from Uttar …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn't controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn't controlled, study finds

The Hindu  

June 22, 2023 01:51 pm | Updated 02:45 pm IST Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren't sharply reduced, according to a report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of their volume if global warming isn’t controlled, study finds

Associated Press  

BENGALURU, India — Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t sharply reduced, according to a report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate …

Mount Everest on edge: Earth's highest mountain lost 2,000 years' worth of ice in just 30 years
1 year, 6 months ago

Mount Everest on edge: Earth's highest mountain lost 2,000 years' worth of ice in just 30 years

India Today  

Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain ranges are experiencing unprecedented melting rates, risking the loss of up to 80% of their volume by the end of this century, if greenhouse gas emissions are not significantly reduced. The ice and snow in the Hindu Kush Himalayas are crucial water sources for these rivers, which flow through 16 Asian countries, providing …

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of volume if global warming is not controlled, study finds
1 year, 6 months ago

Himalayan glaciers could lose 80% of volume if global warming is not controlled, study finds

LA Times  

Glaciers are melting at unprecedented rates across the Hindu Kush Himalayan mountain range and could lose up to 80% of their volume this century if greenhouse gas emissions aren’t sharply reduced, according to a new report. “The people living in these mountains who have contributed next to nothing to global warming are at high risk due to climate change,” said …

Climbers celebrate Mount Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers, rising temperatures
1 year, 6 months ago

Climbers celebrate Mount Everest 70th anniversary amid melting glaciers, rising temperatures

Associated Press  

KATHMANDU, Nepal — As the mountaineering community prepares to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the conquest of Mount Everest, there is growing concern about temperatures rising, glaciers and snow melting, and weather getting harsh and unpredictable on the world’s tallest mountain. “The effects of climate change are hitting not just the fishes of Antarctica, the whales or the penguins, but …

Climate change adding layer of vulnerability to fragile Himalayas: Experts
2 years, 5 months ago

Climate change adding layer of vulnerability to fragile Himalayas: Experts

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: Climate change and ill-planned human interventions in the Himalayas have accentuated the vulnerability of the hills to disasters, resulting in a manifold increase in loss of property and human lives, experts say. It is acting as a force multiplier and making landslides, flash floods and cloudbursts more disastrous,” said Himanshu Thakkar, coordinator of South Asia Network on Dams, …

Climate change and human intervention adding layer of vulnerability to fragile Himalayas, say experts
2 years, 5 months ago

Climate change and human intervention adding layer of vulnerability to fragile Himalayas, say experts

Firstpost  

Several key roads are currently blocked due to landslides triggered by heavy rain in Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and the northeast New Delhi: Climate change and ill-planned human interventions in the Himalayas have accentuated the vulnerability of the hills to disasters, resulting in a manifold increase in loss of property and human lives, experts say. Several key roads …

Reviving a Ghost Village in Uttarakhand With Hill-Centric Livelihood and Tourism
2 years, 10 months ago

Reviving a Ghost Village in Uttarakhand With Hill-Centric Livelihood and Tourism

The Quint  

Climate change is driving temperatures up dramatically, especially in the higher elevations. As per a recent study conducted by the Germany-based Potsdam Institute for Climate Research and The Energy and Resources Institute, Uttarakhand’s annual average maximum temperature may increase by 1.6-1.9°C between 2021 and 2050. The residents of Uttarakhand are already experiencing the effects of climate change, such as changing …

Himalayan glaciers melting at exceptional rate due to global warming, says study
3 years ago

Himalayan glaciers melting at exceptional rate due to global warming, says study

India Today  

Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an "exceptional" rate because of global warming, threatening the water supply of millions of people in Asia, according to a study published on Monday. The researchers found that the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 …

Himalayan glaciers melting at 'exceptional rate' due to global warming: Study
3 years ago

Himalayan glaciers melting at 'exceptional rate' due to global warming: Study

Hindustan Times  

Glaciers in the Himalayas are melting at an "exceptional" rate because of global warming, threatening the water supply of millions of people in Asia, according to a study published on Monday. The researchers found that the Himalayan glaciers have lost ice ten times more quickly over the last few decades than on average since the last major glacier expansion 400-700 …

Climate change, tectonic movement changing course of Himalayan glaciers: Study
3 years, 1 month ago

Climate change, tectonic movement changing course of Himalayan glaciers: Study

India Today  

With climate change aggravating the melting of glaciers across the world, scientists have for the first time spotted a rare event in the Himalayan glaciers. Researchers believe that the abnormal behaviour of the glacier suggests that not only is climate a controlling factor, but tectonics also plays an important role in glacial catchments. The incident showed how rock mass on …

Ice, Rock Avalanche May Have Triggered Flash Floods, Says Met Organisation on Uttarakhand Disaster
3 years, 10 months ago

Ice, Rock Avalanche May Have Triggered Flash Floods, Says Met Organisation on Uttarakhand Disaster

News 18  

The World Meteorological Organisation on Tuesday said the exact cause of the flash flood in Uttarakhand’s Rishiganga Valley has not been ascertained yet but the agency suggested that the early assessment indicates a large avalanche of ice and rock leading to the event. The India Meteorological Department said that the higher temperatures were reported at the times of the flash …

Himalayan glacier disaster highlights climate change risks
3 years, 10 months ago

Himalayan glacier disaster highlights climate change risks

Associated Press  

NEW DELHI — When Ravi Chopra saw the devastating deluge of water and debris crash downstream from a Himalayan glacier on Sunday, his first thought was that this was exactly the scenario that his team had warned the Indian government of in 2014. They had warned that warming due to climate change was melting the Himalayan glaciers and facilitated avalanches …

Global warming and vanishing glaciers: Is rising temperature behind Uttarakhand disaster?
3 years, 10 months ago

Global warming and vanishing glaciers: Is rising temperature behind Uttarakhand disaster?

India Today  

The disaster in Uttarakhand has once again turned the spotlight on climate change and its impact on ecology. A study by IIT Kanpur and Dehradun-based Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology shows nearly 26 square kilometres of the glaciated area of Nanda Devi region was lost in 37 years. India has witnessed more than half degree Celsius rise in average temperature …

Uttarakhand tragedy: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand tragedy: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

India TV News  

A part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, recalling a 2019 study that warned about the dangers of climate change and said Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century. Two years earlier in June 2019, a study spanning 40 years of satellite …

Uttarakhand Flood: Green Experts Point at Increased Human Intervention in Himalayan Region
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand Flood: Green Experts Point at Increased Human Intervention in Himalayan Region

News 18  

Increasing human intervention in ecologically sensitive Himalayan region is making it more vulnerable to climate change, environment experts said on Sunday as a glacier broke off at Joshimath in Uttarakhand's Chamoli district, triggering massive flood in the state. While exact cause of this incident is yet to be ascertained and needs an honest investigation, it is evident that increasing human …

Uttarakhand glacier burst | Experts point to climate change impact
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand glacier burst | Experts point to climate change impact

The Hindu  

A deluge that resulted from a glacial melt on Nanda Devi flooded the Rishiganga river in Uttarakhand and washed away at least two hydroelectric power projects — the13.2 MW Rishiganga hydroelectric power project and the Tapovan project on the Dhauliganga river, a tributary of the Alakananda. Glacier retreat and permafrost thaw are projected to decrease the stability of mountain slopes …

Uttarakhand flood: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed
3 years, 10 months ago

Uttarakhand flood: 2019 study warned Himalayan glaciers melting at alarming speed

The Hindu  

As a part of the Nanda Devi glacier broke off in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district on Sunday, leading to massive floods, a study published in 2019 had warned that Himalayan glaciers have been melting twice as fast since the start of this century due to climate change. The 2019 study, spanning 40 years of satellite observations across India, China, Nepal and …

The threats to the Himalaya that rose and retreated this year
4 years ago

The threats to the Himalaya that rose and retreated this year

Live Mint  

A single year in the vast timeline of Himalayan history is all but insignificant. Though it has caused enormous human suffering and economic hardship, a dramatic reduction in carbon emissions, on account of India’s lockdown, provided a brief respite from airborne pollution and the immediate effects of greenhouse gases. Aside from demonstrating convincingly how vehicular exhaust and industrial smog veil …

Discover Related