Locations known for their snowfall, such as Gulmarg in Kashmir, are green and brown rather than the typical icy white. There are more forest fires in Uttarakhand as a result of the state’s lack of snow and rainfall. This season, towns like Almora and Nainital have hardly received any snow or rainfall, and the forests are burning just like they do in the summer.
Numerous forest fires have also occurred in Himachal Pradesh.In the state’s upper regions, there is no snowfall or precipitation following an unusually rainy monsoon. El Nino and other extreme weather events, along with climate change and global warming, are to blame for the unpredictable weather.
The lack of snowfall and the shortfall of rainfall will have a negative impact on people’s quality of life and the local economy. Glaciers, an important supply of water for the area, are melting quickly as a result of extreme weather patterns including summer heat waves. It hasn’t snowed in December or most of January. For their discharge, the majority of rivers rely on the seasonal snow cover. The Bhakra reservoir is one of the reservoirs with much lower water levels than usual.
Source: Times of India
In the summer, snowfall guarantees rural villages access to water. Additionally, snow guarantees frost, which shields winter crops. It is anticipated that crop production would decline sharply. Many localities in the area rely on the tourism and ski industry.
Major infrastructure improvements and other preparations have been made specifically for winter tourism in locations such as Gulmarg. Many people’s livelihoods are dependent on that. The money they make in the winter also affects how they live in the other months of the year. Research has indicated that an only 1 degree Celsius rise in temperature can cause a nearly 20% decrease in the quantity of water retained in snowpacks during the early spring.
Source: India Today
The conventional weather patterns that supported certain economies and lifestyles are going to be significantly disturbed. Governments will need to be prepared to deal with the fallout from these issues, including population movement. Longer term, planning for new agricultural methods and water management strategies are required in order to adjust to the changes.
Such modifications to weather patterns have also been observed in other places of the world. Despite the fact that 2023 was the warmest year ever recorded, there has been a lack of global response to the warnings concerning climate change thus far.
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