Himalayan glaciers on the retreat? – ToI – 16.5.11

Jayashree Nandi | TNN

Bangalore: Himalayan glaciers, which were clouded in controversy over various claims by IPCC authors and other experts about their rapid retreat, will now gain a little more clarity. Isro satellite images taken by Resourcesat-1 over a period of 15 years (1989-2004) have revealed that 75% of the glaciers have retreated, and there has been a retreat of about 3.75km on an average. The study included 2,190 glaciers.
    This project was commissioned by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and department of space (DoS) to break the myths about Himalayan glaciers disappearing. However, the reality also seems to be grim.
    “I can’t say whether we are in a comfortable position, because you can see that 75% of the glaciers have retreated. Only 8% have advanced and 17% are stable. We are going to publish the data soon, probably in the current science journal,” said Dr Ajai, group director, Marine, Geo and Planetary Science Group (MPSG), Space Applications Centre, Ahmedabad, on Saturday in Bangalore.
Detailed charts showing the retreat and images were displayed at the Isro campus.
The study included the basins of the Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra, and included parts of China, Nepal, Bhutan and Pakistan. “For the first time, such a study has been done on Himalayan glaciers and the international community is awaiting it. Only in the Alps have a few glaciers been monitored, and their retreat rates are higher,” he added. The study involved 14 organisations and around 50 experts. Some of the organisations included G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Kashmir University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. The experts also physically visit the glaciers to compare the study results.
    “Many Himalayan glaciers are still in a healthy condition. They will not disappear. And the cause for retreat of these glaciers is not only high temperatures,” he added.
MANGROVES SHOW
INCREASE
    Thanks to various conservation efforts, as per the Isro satellite imagery, the area under mangroves has improved slightly. From 4,441 sqkm in 1993, it has improved to 4,956.2 sqkm in 2004-06. Comparatively, the global area with mangrove cover is 15.2 million ha. According to Ajai, mangroves have increased in West Bengal, Goa and Orissa, but decreased a lot in Gujarat.
    Coral reefs of the Indian Ocean are around 2,383.87 sqkm, compared to a global area of 2.83 lakh sqkm. India stands at number 10 among countries, while Indonesia and Australia have the highest area under coral reefs.
IPCC claim on melting
    Inter-governmental Panel on Climate Change had claimed in its 2007 report that the Himalayan glaciers could melt away by 2035. The scientists later accepted that it was a mistake and apologised for it.