Inaugural Lectures by Fellows/Associates

Implications of Shrinking Cryosphere Under Changing Climate

The speaker will talk about enhanced glacier-melt in the Himalaya under changing climate and observations on decadal glacier thickness changes and cumulative mass loss which can impact the sustainability of water, food and energy security. He will speak about climate projection studies on annual average temperature and precipitation. The speaker will discuss the multi-model ensemble climate data used to simulate the changes in snow precipitation, snowmelt contribution and streamflow under climate change scenarios. The projections have revealed that both the snow precipitation and snowmelt contribution to streamflows shall significantly decrease ending 21st century. Moreover, early snowmelt predicted would lead to the streamflow peak shifting. The findings are expected to significantly impact the availability of waters for various uses, flood vulnerability and sharing of the Indus waters. The generated knowledge can inform policymaking for mitigating adverse impacts of climate change on various cryosphere-dependent sectors in the region.