Uttarakhand fires may trigger Himalayan glacial melt: Experts

Tribune News Service

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, May 21

Raging forest fire in Uttarakhand could accelerate Himalayan glacial melt, experts said. More than 1,140 hectares of forest cover has been lost owing to over 1,000 wildfire incidents in the Himalayan state since November 2023.

“The temperature rises due to forest fire and this certainly impacts the glaciers. It intensifies heat and emits black carbon. The increase in black carbon concentration triggers melting of glaciers. Even the vegetation in the hilly terrain gets impacted due to forest fires. The Himalayan glaciers are also under stress due to global warming,” Pitamber Singh Negi, a scientist at Himalayan Forest Research Institute, told The Tribune.

According to experts, black carbon is a pollutant emitted from forest fire, diesel engines, coal-fired plants and burning of waste.

Dr R Subramanian, Sector Head (Air Quality), Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy, said: “Black carbon, emitted by fossil fuel and biofuel burning, is a significant contributor to outdoor and household air pollution, and melts snow and ice in the Arctic and the Himalayas.”

In an action taken report tabled in the Lok Sabha in December 2023, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Water Resources said: “The Geological Survey of India had not conducted studies on estimated loss of glaciers between 1950 and 2020, and not projected any estimate of loss by the year 2100 in the Himalayan region.” World Meteorological Organization recently warned that accelerated glacier retreat in the Himalayas could heighten risk of glacial lake outburst floods.

Requesting anonymity, an official from the Uttarakhand forest department said: “Glaciers act as mirrors reflecting light and heat. This feature is known as albedo. But when black carbon deposits on glaciers, light and heat are absorbed which results in meltdown. Vegetation around the glaciers should also be protected in order to protect glaciers, but during wildfire these also get impacted.”

Black carbon factor

The temperature rises due to forest fire and this impacts the glaciers. It intensifies heat and emits black carbon, which triggers melting of glaciers. — Pitamber Singh Negi, scientist

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