In the wake of global warming and climate change, the Himalayan region is witnessing a concerning absence of snow, with the mountains losing their snowy cover like never before.
The repercussions extend beyond reduced snowfall frequency, as both day and night temperatures surge, underscoring the profound influence of climate change.
The most obvious evidence of this phenomenon displays in the dry winter and snow-deprived mountains dominating significant parts of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, a national daily reported on Thursday.
Expressing concern over the diminishing snow cover in the region, National Conference leader Omar Abdullah recently took to a micro-blogging website to share his disbelief.
“I’ve never seen Gulmarg so dry in the winter. To put this in to perspective here are a couple of photographs from previous years, both taken on the 6th of Jan. If we don’t get snow soon the summer is going to be miserable. Not to mention skiers like me who can’t wait to get on the slopes but there’s nothing to ski on,” he wrote, sharing an image of Gulmarg.
From Nepal to the Indian region of the Hindu Kush, mountain peaks bereft of snow serve as alarming indicators of the consequences of global warming and climate change.
As weather experts cautiously hope for substantial snowfall by the end of the month, the current situation remains grim.
Mid-January 2024 has marked a dry winter with a notable rain deficit. November recorded an 80% deficit, December saw a 79% deficit, and January thus far is experiencing a 100% deficit, the report added.
Similar distress is evident in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, where famous tourist destinations renowned for international ski competitions are grappling with a severe lack of snow.
The Himalayan cryosphere, undergoing a significant transformation, owes its uniqueness to the snow covers in the region.
Numerous research studies highlight the vulnerability of the Himalayan ecosystem.
During his visit to Nepal in October last year, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres highlighted that Nepal had lost nearly a third of its ice volume in just the last three decades.
Studies emphasize that the warming in the Himalayas has exceeded the global average of 0.74 degrees Celsius over the past century, as outlined in the Hindukush Himalaya Assessment Report.
The declining precipitation trend over the Central Himalayas is linked to an increasing synoptic-scale activity of western disturbances, while the Central Himalayan region experiences a falling local precipitation trend.
