Policy framework to combat the challenges of climate change in the Upper Indus Basin

Jeelani, Gh and Absar, A and Agnihotri, V and Ahmed, S and Alam, A and Azam, MF and Bhat, MS and Deshpande, RD and Dimri, AP and Jain, S and Juyal, N and Lone, SA and Mal, S and Maharana, P and Maurya, AS and Mukherjee, A and Muddu, S and Pottakkal, J and Romshoo, SA and Sarin, MM and Sain, K and Sharma, P and Shrestha, AB (2024) Policy framework to combat the challenges of climate change in the Upper Indus Basin. In: Current Science, 127 (6). pp. 669-673.

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Abstract

The Indus River Basin (IRB), one of the major river basins in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, is primarily sustained by meltwater from the cryosphere. It caters to diverse sectors, including intense irrigationsupported agriculture, energy production, tourism and biodiversity. The cryosphere of the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) is mainly influenced by the western disturbances with subordinate contribution from the Indian Summer Monsoon. Increase in ambient temperature, shrinking cryospheric reserves, fluctuating surface run-off and enhanced frequency of extreme weather events are some of the noticeable indicators of climate change in the UIB. These changes will most likely adversely affect the water-dependent sectors in the upstream and downstream of IRB, posing serious threat to food security and livelihoods. Although the region has gained significant attention in recent years, there remains a noticeable knowledge gap pertaining to certain key issues with serious implications for the natural environment and the people. A national workshop was organized for stimulated deliberations to identify the major knowledge gaps and suggest a policy framework for climate change mitigation in the UIB. The workshop underscores the urgent need of multi-institutional, multidisciplinary, comprehensive, coordinated and time-bound collaboration to study the interplay of complex drivers on water resources of the UIB. © (2024), (Indian Academy of Sciences). All Rights Reserved.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Publication:	Current Science
Publisher:	Indian Academy of Sciences
Additional Information:	The copyright for this article belongs to Publishers.
Keywords:	Atmospheric thermodynamics; Extreme weather; Tropics; Watersheds, Cryosphere; Energy productions; Himalayas; Indus river basin; Knowledge gaps; Policy framework; River basins; Summer monsoon; Upper Indus Basin; Western disturbance, Rivers
Department/Centre:	Division of Mechanical Sciences > Civil Engineering
Date Deposited:	25 Oct 2024 04:22
Last Modified:	25 Oct 2024 04:22
URI:	http://eprints.iisc.ac.in/id/eprint/86496

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