Permafrost Melting in Kashmir
Permafrost, which has been frozen for thousands of years, is now beginning to thaw due to global warming in the Kashmir Himalayas.
A study found that this thawing could impact roads, households, alpine lakes, and hydropower projects in the region.
Permafrost covers 64.8% of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, with different levels of continuity—continuous, discontinuous, and sporadic.
Environmental and Human Impacts
Thawing permafrost releases stored carbon and methane, contributing to global warming.
Human activities like deforestation, land-use change, infrastructure development, and tourism worsen permafrost degradation.
Rising temperatures and natural factors, like earthquakes and slope failure, further destabilize permafrost in the region.
Risks and Uncertainties
Thawing permafrost affects thousands of glacial lakes, with risks of Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs), which can cause significant damage.
Permafrost degradation could impact groundwater and river flow, but studies on these effects are still limited.
There are concerns about infrastructure damage, including roads and hydropower projects, but the extent of the threat is uncertain.
Planning and Mitigation
Future infrastructure development should account for permafrost presence to avoid risks in ecologically sensitive areas.
Environmental impact assessments for hydropower and other projects need to incorporate permafrost and GLOF risks.
There’s a need for improved monitoring of permafrost through data loggers to track temperature changes and refine satellite data for more accurate predictions.
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