Future Sustainability Challenges in Hindu Kush-Himalaya - Impact of Global Changes on Mountains: Responses and Adaptation - page 239

Figure 10.8. A retreating trend of Gangotri glacier since 1780. It is one of the largest glaciers in
the Himalayas feeding meltwater to the Ganges river. It has been receding since 1780. Outlines
for 1780-1971 are from the work by Vohra (4), the outline for 1990 is from our analysis of a
Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) image (November 15, 1990), and the outlines for 2006 (October
9) and 2010 (November 29) are from ASTER image analysis (Source: Kargel et al. 2011).
range of about 0.3 to 0.4. Keeping other factors constant, removing snow
from a glacier means a 200 to 300% energy increase to the surface of the
glacier, causing exposed glacier ice to heat and then melt. This also melts
nearby snow, resulting in more energy delivery, and more glacier wastage
(NAS 2012). Recent studies implicate snow darkening by black carbon
and dust as a possible cause of glacier retreat. Menon et al. (2010) noted
the increased aerosol in the Indian subcontinent, with a large contribution
from BC emission from coal and biofuel is responsible for a 0.9% reduction
in snow/ice cover over the Himalayas region between 1990 and 2000 (NAS
2012). In addition, particles associated with the ABC are likely to have
signifi cant public health impacts, such as, cardiovascular and pulmonary
effects leading to chronic respiratory problems. Due to inhalation of ABCs
outdoor in China and India, it is inferred that 337,000 deaths per year, with
a 95% confi dence interval of 181,000-492,000 (UNEP 2008).
Impacts and Risks in Hindu Kush-Himalayan
The effect of climate change on glaciers, monsoon behavior, and fl ood and
drought intensity are already impacting the livelihoods of millions. Most
of the mountain people in the HKH countries depend upon agriculture for