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Shrinking Himalayan Glaciers

The shrinkage of the Himalayan glaciers could cause increased flooding in China, Nepal and India, followed by drought and severe water shortages

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Shrinking Himalayan Glaciers
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  • A good 67 per cent of the Himalayan glaciers and 95 per cent of the glaciers in the Tibet plateau are receding

  • Total reduction in global glacier area was between 6,000 and 8,000 sq km over a 30-year period from 1961 to 1990

  • Based on scientific investigations, there are forecasts that up to a quarter of the global mountain glacier mass could disappear by 2050 and up to a half could be lost by 2100

  • In the Himalayas, the Khumbu glacier, a popular climbing route to the summit of Mt Everest, has retreated by over 5 km from where Hillary and Tenzing Norgay set out for their ascent

  • There are 229 glacial lakes in Himachal Pradesh, formed due to increased melting. Of these, 22 have been found to be dangerous for downstream areas.

  • Glacial lake bursts have become a national threat to water resources in Nepal

  • Between 1971 and 1996, the Gangotri glacier retreated by 850 metres. Present annual rate of retreat is about 23 metres. Its average rate of retreat in the last three decades has been found to be three times the rate during the last 200 years or so.

  • The thickness of the Dokriani glacier on the Bhagirathi basin is reducing at the rate of four metres annually. Its length shrank 550 metres between 1962 and 1995.

  • The Bara Shigri glacier in Himachal Pradesh is receding at the rate of 10 metres a year whereas the rate of retreat of smaller glaciers in HP is 20 to 30 metres

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