Ganga threatened by climate change

Bindu Shajan Perappadan

NEW DELHI: One of the greatest rivers of the Indian subcontinent and the source of life for hundreds of thousands of people, the Ganga is also one of the rivers most threatened by climate change.

According to a report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change looking at the threat from climate change to human development and the environment, “only the polar icecaps hold more fresh water than the Himalayan glaciers”: “If the current trends of climate change continue, by 2030 the size of the glaciers could be reduced by as much as 80 per cent,” warns the report, titled “Up in Smoke -- Asia and the Pacific”, released here this week.

Some of India’s most important rivers are fed by the Himalayan glaciers. But rising temperatures means that many of the Himalayan glaciers are melting fast, and could diminish significantly over the coming decades with catastrophic results. In the long run, the water flow in the Ganges could drop by two-thirds, affecting more than 400 million people who depend on it for drinking water.

The report warns that in the short term the rapid melting of ice high up in the Himalayas might cause river swelling and floods. The formation of glacial lakes of melt-water creates the threat of outburst floods leading to devastation in lowland valleys.

“India is facing a major water crisis and its per capita grain production is declining. Countries like India cannot be expected to cover the cost of adapting to climate change out of their own resources. They will need financial and other help from the rich industrial countries,” says Raman Mehta of Action Aid speaking about the impact on climate change on agriculture.

The adverse impact of climate changes includes water crisis and an increased risk of extinction for an estimated 20 to 30 per cent of plant and animal species in India if the global average temperature exceeds 1.5 to 2.5 degrees Celsius. Climate change will also significantly impact health in India. The most vulnerable will be the poor, the disabled, the youngest and oldest members of the population as they already face limited access to health facilities and have limited disposable income to cover additional medical costs.

Says K. Srinivas of Greenpeace, “There are alternative energy pathways that are available to meet India’s development needs without the hidden costs associated with fossil fuel-based energy systems.”

May cause water crisis, put 20 to

30 % of plant and animal species to grave risk