Public Lecture on CLIMATE CHANGE

Invitation- Public Lecture on Climate Change

ABSTRACT

The Science of Climate Change- PROF. J. SRINIVASAN

During the last 50 years scientists have unraveled the main factors that cause climate change on earth. The main factors are the amount of solar radiation absorbed by earth and the amount of earth’s surface emission that is trapped by the earth’s atmosphere. Earth’s climate has oscillated between a completely ice-covered earth and an ice-free earth during the past 4 billion years. During the past 150 years human being have begun to alter the earth’s climate because of the burning of fossil fuels. How will the earth’s climate change in the next hundred years? What can we do to reduce the rapid warming of the earth?

Climate Change and Himalayan Glaciers- DR. ANIL V. KULKARNI

The Himalayan mountain range stores a large concentration of snow and glaciers. Glaciers are generally described as a mass of ice slowly moving from higher to lower altitudes. The Himalayan region generates more runoff due to high orographic precipitation and delayed release due to snow and ice storage. The area experiences snowfall during winter and melts during summer. Therefore, water is supplied during the hot and dry season, making many rivers like Indus, Ganga and Brahmaputra perennial. However, the availability of water from this source can significantly influence in future due to climate change. The Himalayan range is experiencing a higher rise in temperature than the global mean, affecting the distribution of glaciers and seasonal snow cover. The distribution of glaciers is not uniform throughout the Himalayan basins. Indus basin has the largest concentration of glaciers, and it has approximately 26000 sq km area. The average glaciated regions of the Ganga and Brahmaputra basins are 11,621 and 15,606 km2, respectively. The snow and glacier melt contribution in total discharge is 62% in Indus, 20% in Ganga, and 25 % in Brahmaputra basins. Therefore, the Indus River is more vulnerable under future climate change scenarios due to enormous snow/glacier melt, large population, high water stress, and geopolitical conditions. The rates of retreat have probably accelerated in the past few decades. However, the observed tendencies are not regionally uniform. They vary across the entire Himalayas from glacier to glacier, ranging from a few meters to as high as 61 ma -1 . The mean rate of retreat is - 14.2m/a; the large variability is linked with topography, glacier extent, debris cover and climate. In the future, a temperature rise will be much higher, reducing glacier area and snow cover substantially, creating new hazards and risks for the mountain communities. The seasonal snow is likely to melt early, potentially changing the seasonal pattern of stream runoff. It will also lead to the early drying of mountain streams and springs, creating a necessity for new adaptation strategies. The recent innovation of Ice Stupa in Ladakh is one such example. Changing cryosphere and climate is likely to challenge all societal activities in the Himalaya, creating a need for a knowledge-based approach to meet the livelihood challenges of mountain communities.

ORGANISING COMMITEE

Patron: Shri K. Jairaj, IAS (Retd.), Managing Trustee, mLAC

Convener: Dr. Shashikala.A, Principal, mLAC

Organising Secretary: Prof. Aruna. H.K, HOD, Dept. of Zoology

Program Coordinator: Ms. Bhavya. B, Assistant Professor, Dept. of Zoology

ORGANISING MEMBERS

Dept. of Zoology

• Dr. Shashikala.K.B, Assistant Professor

• Ms. Anusha.V. Udupa, Assistant Professor

• Ms. Smitha.N, Assistant Professor

• Ms. Devika.S, Assistant Professor

• Ms. Hema.S, Assistant Professor

• Dr. Saborni Roy, Assistant Professor

• Ms. Pallavi A, Assistant Professor