Climate Change Himalayan Informatics

Geodynamic process during the rapid growth ofHimalayahas holistic imprints of Climate Change in this region. “Climate Change & Himalayan Informatics” is an account of dedicated contribution for the above imprints. Impact of climate change is examined in this book for the ongoing process of rapid urbanization of the hinterlands ofHimalaya. It consists four sessions and seventeen chapters. Mass balance of glaciers in ChandrabasinofHimalayais presented as a predictive tool for spatially distributed estimates of mass balance of glaciers. An effective tool to identify and locate multiple natural hazards due to climate change inHimalayaespecially landslides and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is part of the book. Impacts of climate change on cropping strategies by mountain communities are ascribed in the session “socio-economic perspectives”. Information on ecologically and economically important plant species inHimalayathat have greater tolerance in drought, discussed in this book, is significant in the perspectives of global warming. A specific species is identified as an indicator of climate change forEastern Himalaya. Climatic impacts on different regional eco systems ofHimalayahad implications on ecological, cultural and socio economic process of the region. Multidimensional decision support system is essential for mitigation and adaptation for such implications. Present book consists studies from north to eastern part ofHimalaya. This will be beneficial to researchers, student, managers and administrators associated with Mountain ecosystem and Climate Change.

Geodynamic process during the rapid growth of himalaya has holistic imprints of climate change in this regin. " climate change & himalayan informatics" is an account of dedicated contribution for the above imprints. Impact of climate change is examined in this book for the ongoing process of rapid urbanization of the hinterlands of himalaya. It consists four sessions and seventeen chapters. Mass balance of glaciers in chandra basin of himalaya is presented as a predictive tool for spatially distributed estimates of mass balance of glaciers. An effective tool to identify and locate multiple natural hazards due to climate change in himalaya especially landslides and glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF) is part of the book. Impact of climate change on cropping strategies by mountain communities are ascribed in the session "socio-economic perspectives". Information on ecologically and economically important plant species in himalaya that have greater tolerance in drought, discussed in this book, is significant in the perspectives of global warming. A specific species is identified as an indicator of climate change for eastern himalaya. Climatic impacts on different regional eco systems of himalaya had implications on ecological, cultural and socio economic process of the region.Multidimensional decision support system is essential for mitigation an adaptation for such implications. Present book consists studies from north to eastern part of himalaya. This will be beneficial to researchers, student, managers and administrators associated with mountain ecosystem and climate change.

Biodiversity is declining at an alarming rate due to anthropogenic activities around the world. This book is the second volume in the new series Biodiversity Hotspots of the World, which highlights the 36 hotspot regions of the world, regions that have been designated as reaping maximum benefit from preservation efforts. This series is our humble attempt to document these hotspots as a conservation and preservation measure. The concise volumes in this series focus on the most interesting and important properties of these hotspots, covering physiography and climatology; vegetation and forest types; amphibian and reptile biodiversity; genetic diversity of crops, plants, fishes, butterflies, insects, birds, mammals, angiosperms, and gymnosperms; and much more. And of course, the unique threats and conservation efforts for the areas are addressed as well. The Himalayan Mountains are the highest mountain range in the world and include Mount Everest as well as eight other highest peaks of the world. While it is difficult to document the biodiversity of this inhospitable terrain, we do know that out of the 9,000 different species of plants recorded in the area, 3,500 plants are endemic to the Eastern Himalaya region. Anthropogenic activities including deforestation, fragmentation of habitats, pollution, high population, climate change, and poaching of wildlife pose serious threats to the biodiversity of the region. The highlands have exceptionally rich biodiversity, high endemism, and over 160 globally threatened species, including the densest population of Bengal tigers and the three largest herbivores on the continent: the Asian elephant, greater one-horned rhinoceros, and wild water buffalo. The region boasts the world’s richest counts of alpine flora within its temperate broad-leaved forests, with a total of 10,000 species of plants. This volume, Biodiversity Hotspot of the Himalayas, as well as the other volumes in this series, will be essential resources for researchers and practitioners in the fields of conservation biology, ecology, and evolution as the series concisely records the existing biodiversity of these hotspots of the world.

The book “Climate Change and Himalaya- Natural hazards and mountain resources” presents the resources of Himalaya along with the potential natural hazards. It consists twenty two chapters from researchers working in different institutions with multi disciplinary approach. More than seven hundred glaciers were monitored and discussed in one of the chapter of this book. This book will be highly useful to researchers, policy makers, students and is an essential document to libraries of universities, colleges, research institutions and personnel collections.

Melting glaciers and the loss of seasonal snow pose significant risks to the stability of water resources in South Asia. The 55,000 glaciers in the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges store more freshwater than any region outside of the North and South Poles. Their ice reserves feed into three major river basins in South Asia—the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra—that are home to 750 million people. One major regional driver of the accelerating glacier melt is climate change, which is altering the patterns of temperature and precipitation. A second driver may be deposits of anthropogenic black carbon (BC), which increase the glaciers’ absorption of solar radiation and raise air temperatures. BC is generated by human activity both inside and outside of South Asia, and policy actions taken by the South Asian countries themselves may meaningfully reduce it. Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon, and Regional Resilience investigates the extent to which the BC reduction policies of South Asian countries may affect glacier formation and melt within the context of a changing global climate. It assesses the relative impact of each source of black carbon on snow and glacier dynamics. The authors simulate how BC emissions interact with projected climate scenarios. They also estimate the extent to which these glacial processes affect water resources in downstream areas of these river basins and present scenarios until 2040. Their policy recommendations include the following: Full implementation of current BC emissions policies can significantly reduce BC deposition in the region; additional reductions can be realized by enacting and implementing new policies that are economically and technically feasible. Improving the efficiency of brick kilns could be key to managing BC, and modest up-front investments could pay off quickly. Cleaner cookstoves and cleaner fuels can help to reduce BC and improve local air quality. Improving institutions for basin-based water management and using price signals are essential elements of more efficient water management. Careful management of hydropower and storage resources will require developers to factor in changing water flows and consider planning for large storage projects to stabilize water availability. Regional cooperation and the exchange of information can be an effective transboundary solution, helping countries to manage glaciers and related natural assets collaboratively. New policies are needed to reverse trends like the melting of glaciers. Success will require an active, agile cooperation between researchers and policy makers. To support an open dialogue, the model developed and used in this book is an open-source, state-of-the-art model that is available for others to use and improve on.

Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human water use, could have a greater impact. Higher elevation areas could experience altered water flow in some river basins if current rates of glacial retreat continue, but shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of rain and snow due to climate change will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security makes recommendations and sets guidelines for the future of climate change and water security in the Himalayan Region. This report emphasizes that social changes, such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase-for example, as more people have diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress. Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security explains that changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.

This book highlights various dimensions of human habitats in 21st Century India. The human habitats in the country are marked by perceptible inequality in social and economic spheres. This is occurring in tandem with rapid socio-economic transformation across both rural and urban landscapes. There is a plurality of transformative characteristics in terms of social and economic classes, gender and space. Inequality in access to natural resources such as land and water is still a big factor in socio-economic differentiation in rural habitats. This constructs a pedestal of unequal opportunities and access to basic human necessities such as healthcare, education, potable water and sanitation. Human habitats experiencing socio-spatial segregation and exclusion based on caste, community and gender are detrimental in formation of a civil society and its sustainability in long terms. The ideal situation for this would be formation of an inclusive society that celebrates age old socio-cultural diversities, reduces inequalities and reveres composite culture.

Geospatial Technologies and Climate Change describes various approaches from different countries on how to use geospatial technologies to help solving climate change issues. It also details how different geospatial technologies (remote sensing, Geographical Information System...) can be used to help with climate monitoring and modeling, how to work with them and what to be careful about. This book is written by scientific experts from four different continents. Written in a comprehensive and complete way, this book is essential reading material for graduate and undergraduate students interested in these techniques and in climate change.