It won’t take more than a few decades for many Himalayan glaciers to disappear, leaving the Ganga, Indus and Brahmaputra as seasonal rivers. These glaciers are receding just like others at low latitudes. Data from almost 30 such reference glaciers in nine mountain ranges indicate that between 2004-06, the average rate of melting and thinning more than doubled, according to the UN Environment Programme. The findings come from the World Glacier Monitoring Service, which has been tracking the fate of glaciers for over a century. The latest figures indicate an accelerating trend with no end in sight. The estimates for the year 2006 indicate that further shrinking took place equal to around 1.4 metres of water equivalent compared to half a metre in 2005. Since 1980, the loss amounts to more than 10.5 metres of water equivalent. The findings also contain figures from around 100 glaciers. The most dramatic shrinking has happened in Europe. The glacier retreat trend reported in the Third Assessment Report of the IPCC is continuing and reaching critical conditions in Bolivia, Peru, Colombia and Ecuador also. Recent studies indicate that most of the South American glaciers from Colombia to Chile and Argentina are drastically reducing their volume at an accelerated rate.
In a related finding from a NASA satellite, the thickest sea ice around the North Pole is melting in what is a sure ominous sign of warming. The loss of ice at the poles would mean more global warming with heat-reflecting ice replaced by absorbing dark water. Already there has been a large decrease of perennial ice between February 2007 and February 2008 with the thick ice accounting for 75 per cent. The fresh new ice is more easily disturbed by wind and warm sea temperature.
Glacier melting is often compared to the canary taken down into coal mines to indicate safety levels. Glaciers are the clearest warning gong in the warming scenario. Not only do they add to sea level in places, in other places their melting means enhanced warming. But perhaps the most immediate impact will be felt in places where they feed river systems. Like the Gangetic plain. Livelihood of millions depend on these waters. Drinking water, agriculture, and power generation will suffer, affecting lives and the economy. Since 2000, the carbon dioxide levels have increased further by 35 percent, showing that let alone a decrease, there is no hope of stabilising carbon levels. It is no more a question of evidence, but that of action. Immediate action.
