Introduction
Glaciers are melting down faster than ever due to the climate change. The Indian Himalayas is an example of this. This glacier is melting down so fast that serious problems will arise because millions of people depend on these glaciers directly and indirectly thinking of water supply and agriculture. After several years there will be less water and there is the possibility that rivers will dry out if the glaciers keep on shrinking.
Original article: “ In the Indian Himalayas, you can hear climate change before you can see it” by Nick Schifrin (http://abcnews.go.com/print?id=5540526)
Essay by Gemma Koenders
Master in Tourism Destination Management student 2008/2009
Glaciers are melting faster in the Indian Himalayas than ever due to the climate change and global warming. According to Buhalis and Costa “the global average surface temperature will increase by between 1.4 and 5.8˚C between 1990 and 2100” (Tourism Management Dynamics).
Glaciers have always been melting down but not that fast as it is doing now and if this keep on going then in a few years the glaciers will disappear. This would have major consequences for millions of people and for the countries around the Himalaya as they depend on the water supply from the glaciers and the rivers.
A press statement of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) said “Warming in the Himalayan region has been much greater than global average. Both increasing and decreasing rainfall patterns have been detected in the area. Weather patterns are become more unpredictable and extreme. This phenomenon is causing concern in the long term reduction in total water supply, affecting lives and livelihoods of the Himalayan people, especially in agriculture practices and long term food security”.
There may be several reasons why these glaciers are melting. One reason may be that it is the cause of global warming because of the increase of using gasses and emissions. Another reason may be that the land around the glaciers is changing due to peoples’ behaviour concerning land use and this affects the environment and the glaciers as well.
One thing is for sure and that is the fact that serious problems will arise if the glaciers keep on melting this fast. In the beginning there will be an overflow of water, sea level will rise and the rivers are not able to deal with the amount of water anymore which is dangerous for the people living around the Himalayas. After some years there will be no water at all because glaciers will disappear! As a consequence the rivers will dry out so the rivers cannot feed the trees anymore this will lead to a decrease of agriculture. People will get food problems and there will be no fresh water supply anymore.
According to the U.N. climate change panel report:
- “forty-nine million to 266 million people could be at risk of hunger by 2080 as a direct result of climate change
- “crop yield could drop as much as 30 percent by 2050”
- “severe reduction in the availability of fresh water would leave 120 million to 1.2. billion people in Asia to experience water stress”
So it is very obvious that action has to be taken against the climate change and global warming as major problems will occur for many people and countries if the glaciers keep on melting this fast.
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