Himachal Pradesh

Actions for mainstreaming climate change
Government of Himachal Pradesh & GIZ launch the revised State Action Plan on Climate Change Posted on 19 Dec, 2021 06:11 PM

The Department of Environment, Science & Technology, Government of Himachal Pradesh in association with The German Development Cooperation (GIZ) concluded a two-day climate conference at Shimla.

Zingzing Bar to Suraj Tal, Lahaul & Spiti District (Image: Timothy Gonsalves)
Floods and recurring natural disasters in India
Better regulation of environmentally sensitive areas is needed to avert disasters. Posted on 04 Aug, 2021 09:59 AM

After two weeks of extremely hot and long dry weather, the monsoon winds brought heavy rains to the hilly northern states of India (Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand) and the south-west coastal states (Maharashtra, Karnataka, Goa, and Kerala).

Floods in Uttarkashi (Image: Oxfam International; CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
Global warming leads to vanishing glaciers
Glacier melt in Himalayas to increase rapidly till 2050, then may decrease, says study by IIT Posted on 20 Jul, 2021 03:22 PM

The Himalaya-Karakoram region in South Asia is often called the water tower of Asia or the Third Pole. It is one of the most heavily glacierized mountain regions on Earth.

Parkachik glacier, a part of the Zanskar region, Ladakh (Image: Mahua Sarkar, Wikimedia Commons,  CC BY-SA 3.0)
Water, at a price!
The water woes of Darjeeling continue to grow with unreliable public water supply and highly elastic private water markets. Is there a way out? Posted on 21 May, 2021 11:15 PM

Darjeeling, a water starved town

Hill stations in India are increasingly getting water scarce. Darjeeling, a well-known Himalayan town, continues to face water scarcity every year during the dry season, despite the abundant monsoon rainfall and several perennial rivers and streams.

Darjeeling, in the grip of a water crisis (Image Source: Bernard Gagnon via Wikimedia Commons)
Fostering rural livelihoods post COVID
Income loss top concern for rural communities, says study Posted on 18 May, 2021 09:09 PM

As per a new study conducted by the Indian School of Development Management (ISDM) and IIMPACT, an NGO loss of income and livelihood are among the top concerns for rural communities struggling to cope with the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic.

Must have protocols for timely action and outreach in times of need (Image: DMD, Government of Bihar)
Dams and distress in the Himalayas!
Hydropower projects and compensatory afforestation plantations are spelling doom for the fragile Himalayan forest ecosystems. Urgent action is the need of the hour! Posted on 23 Feb, 2021 10:10 PM

Proliferation of hydropower development in the Himalayas is leading to extensive land use changes in the river valleys and threatening the diverse and fragile Himalayan ecosystems leading to deforestation, fragmentation, soil erosion and loss of forest biodiversity. These are a cause for serious concern for local communities, whose lives and livelihoods depend on these forests.

100 MW Tidong-I project, Kinnaur HP (Image Source: Manu Moudgil)
The Uttarakhand disaster: A warning to be better prepared!
The Uttarakhand disaster reaffirms earlier warnings on the fragility of the Himalayan region calling for more careful planning and preparedness in the future! Posted on 10 Feb, 2021 02:40 PM

Uttarakhand's Chamoli district experienced massive floods on the morning of 7th February 2021.

A view of the Himalayas. (Source: IWP Flickr photos--photo for representation purpose only)
Climate change: A look through a gender lens
Women are disproportionately vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Posted on 06 Jan, 2021 02:51 PM

Climate change vulnerability is a multi-layered and multi-faceted phenomenon. “It’s a justice issue determined by both biophysical and socio-economic factors.

The gendered vulnerabilities due to climate change need to be well-recognized. (Image: Justin Kernoghan, Trocaire, Wikimedia Commons)
NGT orders states to designate nodal agencies for restoring water bodies
Policy matters this week Posted on 02 Dec, 2020 11:40 AM

Designate nodal agencies for restoration of water bodies: NGT to states

Gharisar lake in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan (Source: IWP Flickr photos)
Springs that sustain millions
Springs, the greenest source of water, and the strongest bulwark against climate change in the mountains are in dire need of protection. Posted on 16 Nov, 2020 01:07 PM

For a long time, villagers of Thanakasoga in Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh knew about the depletion of their drinking water sources and the thirstier future they faced. “We depend on bawdis and natural springs, from where we fetched water. By 2012, our springs were dying and could hardly cater to the local demand.

Springshed management has brought the much-required difference in people's lives, as the discharge of the springs increased (Image: Kedarnathsmritivan; Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0))
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