Now Reading: Western Himalaya Warming Faster, Study Finds
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Western Himalaya Warming Faster, Study Finds
The western Himalaya, covering Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir, and Himachal Pradesh, is warming faster than the central and eastern stretches, a study has found. Winter temperatures are rising faster than spring temperatures, while night-time temperatures are increasing faster than daytime highs.
Published in the Journal of Earth System Science, the study used temperature records from 1901 to 2020 and eight climate models projecting conditions to 2100 under five emissions pathways. It found that spring snow loss is greater than winter loss across the Himalaya, with the west experiencing the highest decline. By the end of the century, spring snow loss in the western Himalaya could be three times higher under a high-emission pathway than under a low-emission pathway. The study was led by BIT Ranchi with IITM Pune and Ashoka University.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The study presents a regional assessment rather than treating the Himalaya as one uniform system. Its strongest finding is the consistent exposure of the western stretch across historical observations and model projections. The projections are conditional, so the reported threefold difference describes emissions pathways, not a fixed outcome. The analysis also links warming patterns with seasonal snow loss, which matters for water availability and mountain ecosystems, but the source does not quantify effects on communities or river flows. The main point to watch is how emissions choices alter projected spring snow loss by 2100.
Coverage: 1 source, 1 neutral
Source: deccanchronicle.com (neutral report)
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
