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Sanction Date: |
22-08-2019 |
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Project Category |
MG |
|
Year |
2019-2020 |
|
Project Duration |
3 Years + 07 Months Project Extension + 1 Year Project Extension |
|
BTA : |
WRM |
|
Project Site/ State/ Districts/ Villages Covered: |
Jammu & Kashmir (Ladakh)
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Organization/ Implementation Agency: |
National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, UK, India |
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Project Partners: |
S.No. |
Name |
| 1. |
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, India
|
| 2. |
Kashmir University, Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir, India
|
| 3. |
G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment &
Sustainable Development, Kosi-Katarmal, Almora, UK, India
|
|
Lead Proponent: |
Dr. P.G Jose
Scientist E, National Institute of Hydrology, Roorkee, Uttarakhand
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Project Brief Description: |
In the IHR region, cryospheric studies are largely focused on snow and glaciers due its visible impact on the
environment and resources. As water resources in the IHR region started experiencing the signs of stress,
with the increasing population and unpredictable climate; research is started moving to look into the finer
details of the water resources dynamics in the Himalayas. Conclusive evidence of permafrost in the IHR
was available from Tso Kar lake area way back in 1975-76 from a study conducted by the Geological Survey
of India (GSI). Initial modelling assessment on a regional scale suggests that the permafrost area in the Hindu
Kush Himalaya (HKH) region could extent up to 1 million km
2
, which roughly translate into 14 times the
area of glacier cover of the region. The cold-arid region of Ladakh has reported sporadic occurrence of
permafrost and associated landforms. Catchment scale studies suggest that ground ice melt component may
be a critical water source during dry years in the cold-arid regions of Ladakh. As glaciers and snow cover is
shrinking in the most part of the in response to changing climate, the permafrost areas are also expected to
respond in a comparable manner as evident from other similar cryospheric areas globally. Possible
permafrost thaw related impacts also can be inferred from other areas which include changed frequency and
unexpected location of landslides, changes to vegetation and runoff patterns, change in the water quality and
sediment load in the rivers and could impact more on the population depended on these high altitudes.
Moreover, World meteorological organization describe the permafrost as an essential climate variable. Many
of the key border roads are built over the permafrost areas and are damaged on a yearly basis on account of
seasonal freeze and thaw. Hence characterization of permafrost in these areas are critical for national security
point of view. Lack of understanding and expertise in India on permafrost is a key area of concern in this
regard. This important project is aimed at building these critical knowledge gaps.
|
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Beneficiaries/ Stakeholders: |
State Agencies across three Himalayan States, Central Govt. Agencies and Hydro Power companies
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|
Activity Chart (For 3 years) |
Click Here |
| Project Objectives |
Quantifiable Deliverables |
Monitoring Indicators |
| • Modelling of permafrost extent in Leh district of Ladakh region. |
• Permafrost extend maps of the whole Leh district covering all sub-basins (3). |
• Permafrost extend maps prepared (No of sub basins) |
| • Modelling active layer thickness of Permafrost in selected study areas. |
• A Model development for permafrost processes and impact on water budget in Leh district. |
• Model Developed (Nos.) |
| • Assessment of regional climate and fluxes over permafrost regions. |
• Assessment reports indicating moisture source areas and climatic implications on permafrost. |
• No of water samples testes and reported (Nos) |
| • Assessment of water quality and bio-geochemistry of permafrost horizon with special emphasis to DOC, DOM, DON and DIN in active layer. |
• Regional climate model coupled with land surface flux for the region. |
• New data base created and submitted (Nos) |
| • Assessment of Ground ice melt contribution to Regional Water resources and estimate the sources of local, and transported moisture using isotope technique. |
• New database on water quality and extent of permafrost. |
• No. of Reports/Research articles/Policy documents prepared and published (Nos.) |
| |
• Assessment report of water quality (4) and bio-geochemistry characteristics dynamics of permafrost regions |
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| |
• New knowledge products/ papers/report (4) |
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