Environmentalists alarmed as Himachal witnesses gradual snowfall pattern shift
- Himachal Pradesh has not only witnessed a reducing snow cover over the years, but also a gradual shift in snowfall occurrence pattern from winter months towards early summer months, raising concern surrounding climate variability in the ecologically fragile Himalayas.
Highlights:
- The decrease in the snow cover during the peak winter months of December and January is especially worrisome and alarming as it could affect the water availability during summer as the snow that occurs during these peak winters sustains for a long time and enhances the discharge dependability of the major river basins during summer.
- A study conducted by the Centre on Climate Change of Himachal Pradesh Council for Science Technology-Environment (HIMCOSTE) has revealed that all the major river basins including the Satluj, the Ravi, the Chenab and the Beas in Himachal Pradesh have witnessed an overall decrease of 12.72% in area under snow in 2023-24 winters in comparison to 2022-23.
- The study conducted using Advanced Wide Field Sensor (AWiFS) satellite data, also points out that during 2023-24, the early winter months of October-November were characterised by a decrease in snow cover area except the Ravi basin, which showed a marginal increase in the area under snow in October.
Negative trend
- Similarly, the peak winter months of December-January saw a negative trend in the area under snow. Notably, during the late winter months of February and March,the trend was positive with an increase in the area under snow in all basins compared to last year.
- In fact, during April the snow cover area increased due to fresh snowfall in the early summer on higher mountain reaches in all the basins.
Prelims Takeaway:
- AWiFS
- HIMCOSTE