Glaciologists are arguing on the speed at which the Himalayan glaciers are reteating. Doubts have been raised on the IPCC Report. Read this report on Himalayan glaciology by Syed Hasnain which is leading to the controversy.

Glacier research conducted during the last quarter of 20th century in the Himalaya Karakoram mountains is briefly reviewed. Work on glacier inventories, mass balance, supraglaeial debris, glacier hydrology, glacial melt water ehemistry, ice core and glacier variations are done mainly in Nepal, India, China and Pakistan through local Government funded programmes and International collaborative projects. Glacier mass balance in the Nepal Himalaya, middle China Himalaya, eastern and central Indian Himalaya are characterized by accumulation in summer monsoon season. Majority of glaeiers in the Himalaya-Karakoram system both on north and south slopes are debris eovered and this controls the melting, soJute aequisition and sediment transfer processes. Annual variations of runoff from glacierized basins are of eonsiderable importanee in developing the water resources of the region. Ongoing shrinkage of glaciers eaused by global warming may lead to a decrease in water resourees and to an inerease in hazards from glacier lake outbursts. Therefore, studies in future on the processes and meehanisms of glacier variations are important to develop the modeling for predietion of the future variation of glaciers, glaeier lakes and water resourees.

See Also

Feature: The debate heats up.
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/295861

Report: An overview of glacier retreat and impacts in Nepal, India and China.
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/295860

Feature: Flooded out.
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/295867

Opinion: Monitoring of Himalayan glaciers and snow cover.
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/284462

Report: Glacial retreat & climate change
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/290848

Report: Global glacier changes.
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/256601

Report: National mission for sustaining the Himalayan eco-system
www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/node/289948