New on Al's site: India's mighty Ganga river & climate change

[IndyOp]

The Ganga is ‘dying’, and fast. The most revered river of the country can no longer be classified as "threatened". If the WWF report ‘World’s top 10 rivers at risk’ is any indication, continuous water withdrawal, pollution and climate change have together created a situation of very high risk for our most famous river, reports Vibha Sharma

<snip>

Environmentalists say that climate change is closer than we think and will hit agrarian developing countries like India the hardest. While the north will face the water crisis with 50 per cent less water in the next 18 years, coastal areas like Mumbai can face the threat of innundation and 20 per cent increased risk of cyclonic storms. "On a scale of one to 10, I would put India’s capacity to meet with challenges ahead at 0.5 points. Everyone seems to be talking about climate change, but as an actual measure very little is being done," IPCC Chairman R.K. Pachauri says.

"Adaptation will be necessary to address impacts resulting from the warming which is already unavoidable due to past emissions. We need much more work on the monsoon given its importance to life and agriculture in this country. The country has to devise anticipatory measures, including protective infrastructure and encouraging natural methods," he adds.

Recession may cause an increase in the discharge of Himalayan rivers due to enhanced melting, initially leading to a higher incidence of flooding and landslides. It spells disaster for areas dependent on perennial rivers like the Ganga. As the volume of ice diminishes, there will be no water left to flow in the river.

http://www.tribuneindia.com/2007/20070520/spectrum/main1.htm