Climate impact on water resources management in Indian Himalayas - A case study

A L Ramanathan, Jose P G, Farooq Azam, Arindan Mandal and Virender Kr Singh

Climate impact on water resources management in Indian Himalayas - A case study

A L Ramanathan, Jose P G, Farooq Azam, Arindan Mandal and Virender Kr Singh

Jawaharlal Nehru University, India

: Expert Opin Environ Biol

Abstract

The Himalayan Mountains are the main source of water of the world's largest rivers here. They support the life of millions of human beings and sometimes cause devastating floods. The winter and summer mass balance over the years and the debris cover and microclimatic change has significantly altered the water resources of these glaciers here. Water management has wide range of socioeconomic impact with enormous hydroelectric potential. Hydrological data are scarce in this region due to the engaged nature of the systems. The melt water discharge and its chemistry are significant for the water resource management of this region which helps us to understand the water resource potential of this mighty glacier system.