Ecoseva Institute的动态

Where is all the snow? The name Himalaya in Sanskrit (hima (???) meaning 'frost/cold' and ālaya (???) meaning 'dwelling/house') literally means ‘the abode of the snows.’ Yet, we see in summertime just how much impact the changing climate patterns are having on these once, eternal, snowy abodes. There is a stark difference between the high-altitude north facing glaciers like the Parang glacier and ice field above; and the completely bare southern facing slopes of the same mountain. It was such a shocking contrast to come over the top of the glacier at 5600m (18370ft), and have to take off spikes at the top because there was no more ice on the other side - no more ice or snow at over 18,000ft! What this loss of glaciated slopes means is that in summer there is no more water coming down this south facing valley, and when this happens there is nothing to sustain the plants, animals, shepards, and the chance trekkers in this mountain terrain, let alone the ecosystem and communities below. As we descended from the pass, we were only able to find a small trickle on the south slope that day, which was difficult to get even enough water to fill a bottle. If you had a flock of goats your flock would end up thirsty. The next day, we actually ran out of water because spots on the map marked as springs were dry. The average annual precipitation in Ladakh is only around 3 inches (80 mm), making it a high-altitude, cold, desert. The glaciers act as water towers, storing the essential water that provides life for this region and everything downstream. When the glaciers are gone, the life, ecology, and culture of the region also goes. Although this area might seem remote to the world, these Third Pole glacial waters sustain one quarter of the global population. What happens here is a present example of climate impacts and harbinger of even greater challenges to come. (Photo: on the North side of Parang Glacier; bare south facing slopes coming down the other side of the mountain, Aug 2024) Ecoseva Institute National Geographic Society Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) Jigmet Lundup Abeer S. Al-Saud Sonam Gurmet Carolyn Mills Carole Fuchs Preeti Chauhan Arctic Basecamp Arctic Circle Arc'teryx Equipment #glaciers #Glaciers2025 #ThirdPole #water #waterscarcity #cryosphere #indigenousculture #culturalsustainability #sacredecology #interconnection #climateaction #climatechange #fieldwork #womeninscience #Himalayas #planetaryboundaries #holocene #anthropocene #alpine #Arctic #India #Nepal #Bhutan #environmentalscience #ecoliteracy #globalchange #rightsofnature #righttowater #biodiversity #mountainecosystems