Research Projects

The Himalayan Cryosphere regime is crucial for controlling the climate system and maintaining water supply to South Asian rivers. Understanding the system's mechanisms and behavior is essential for quantifying the influence of climate change on future water availability. This study aims to reveal the influence of climate change on the debris-covered Milam Glacier in the Goriganga River Basin, Uttarakhand. The study will use a coupled approach of in-situ/ground-based observations, space-based monitoring, and physically-based modelling to understand the glacier-climate interaction and identify future responses to climate change. Observations will be conducted on hydro-meteorology, snout fluctuation, surface accumulation/ablation patterns, glacier-wide mass balance, debris cover characteristics, and supraglacial lakes dynamics. Space-based monitoring techniques will be used to study seasonal snow and vegetation cover variability, changes in glacier geometry, cryosphere mass fluctuation, and glacier lakes/water body fluctuations. A conceptual hydrological model will be developed using baseline information to model melt water discharge/surface runoff at catchment scale. The model will provide information on various streamflow components and be validated using statistical techniques. The project will be implemented and coordinated using GBP-NIHE's decentralized setup across the Indian Himalaya and multidisciplinary skills. The project is expected to last 36 months with a total expenditure of Rs. 79,96,780/-.