Climate change is characterized by an increment in the mean temperature as well as increase in the variability around the means that cause extreme events such as changing monsoon patterns which lead to cyclones, floods and drought.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that key Himalayan rivers such as the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra, which are all vital to India, may witness reduced flows as glaciers and ice sheets recede owing to global warming in the coming decades.
Torrential monsoon rains have wreaked havoc across northern India, resulting in the loss of at least 22 lives and causing landslides and flash floods. The national capital, Delhi, witnessed its wettest July day in decades, leading to the closure of schools. The Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand urged residents to remain indoors unless absolutely necessary. Flash floods in Himachal Pradesh destroyed a bridge and several hutments, while authorities used helicopters to rescue stranded individuals. Punjab, Delhi, and Uttarakhand faced extensive flooding, with rescue operations employing rubber rafts to reach people trapped in their homes. The Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh urged residents to stay indoors as more heavy rainfall was anticipated.
Amid ongoing monsoon rains, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for seven districts in Himachal Pradesh, signaling a "very high risk" of heavy rainfall, flash floods, and landslides. Additionally, an orange alert has been issued for three districts in the state. The IMD has also issued orange and red alerts for Uttarakhand, highlighting the likelihood of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Delhi, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh have been placed under a yellow alert by the weather department.
In Ladakh, a marathon highlighting climate change's impact on Himalayan glaciers will occur on February 20 at Pangong Lake, near the Line of Actual Control with China. This second edition, organized by the Adventure Sports Foundation of Ladakh (ASFL) with support from local authorities, is unique due to its frozen lake terrain at an elevation of 4,350m. Emphasizing sustainability, the event bans plastic and waste products.
A study conducted by researchers at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras reveals significant differences in climate change-induced risk between the Western and Eastern Indian Himalayan regions. Published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, the study assesses 109 administrative districts using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) criteria.
Sonam Wangchuk, an activist from India, held a 21-day 'climate fast' in his home region of Ladakh in the Himalayas to draw attention to the fast melting of the Earth's 'third pole' and put pressure on India's government to give Ladakhis the legal power to protect the area's resources.
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