Kashmir’s snowless winter rings alarm bells as temperatures rise Sparks fear of water scarcity, power crisis;

 

Kashmir’s snowless winter rings alarm bells as temperatures rise

Sparks fear of water scarcity, power crisis; environmentalists warn of glacial meltdown.

With Kashmir yet to receive major snowfall amid the 40-day harshest winter period, Chillai Kalan, environmentalists warn that a prolonged dry spell will be disastrous for glaciers and water bodies - triggering acute water shortage in the summer this year.

Environmentalists say that the dry spell in the peak winter period is an indicator of climate change coupled with El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) over Kashmir.

Precipitation is vital to the Kashmir region as it provides water needed to grow crops. At higher elevations, it provides snowfall, which, when it melts later in the year, is very important for the region’s water security,”

Climate change, snowfall depletion and streamflow changes are expected to significantly impact the timely availability of water for various uses including hydropower projects, irrigation, flood vulnerability and sharing of the Indus waters.

Amid the dry spell, there has been a rise in the maximum temperature in Srinagar over the last few days. “It is after seven years that Kashmir is again experiencing snowless winter,.

Gulmarg ski resort in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district is bearing the brunt of the ongoing dry spell. The resort, used to bustle with skiing activities and record tourist flow during the period, wears a deserted look these days in the absence of snowfall.

As per studies, there has been an increased frequency of dry spells in Kashmir during the recent few decades. The autumn season is becoming drier in the valley.

“From our recent research, we have found that the Kashmir valley will experience more frequent and prolonged droughts in the future. The results show that the region will experience more frequent and prolonged dry spells from the mid to end of the 21st century making it a new norm during 2051-2099 due to the climate change,

Though El-Nino may be to some extent responsible for the dry spell over Kashmir, as per our research, it is North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) that is majorly responsible for the current dry spell over Kashmir.

Snow precipitation presently comprises 52 percent of the total annual precipitation and contributes 55 percent to the annual streamflow with the peak observed in May. However, projections to the end of the 21st century under various RCPs indicate that there shall be a considerable decrease in both the snow precipitation and snowmelt contribution to the streamflow.

As a result of the predicted change in the form of precipitation under climate change in the basin, a significant increase in the streamflow is predicted during the February–May period when the crop water requirement in the basin is very negligible

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