Background
Scientists have determined that the Himalayans glaciers, also known as “the Third Pole” because their number is only exceeded by the glaciers of the Arctic and Antarctica, are some of the fastest retreating glaciers in the world. (Hughes & Bediones, 3) The cause of this glacial retreat has been attributed to global warming. More specifically, the so-called “Asian brown cloud”, produced mainly by the heavy industries of China and India, releases 2 million tones of soot and other related particles, leading to increased air as well as surface ice temperature. (Hughes & Bediones) The receding of the glaciers has been measured at 10-15 meters annually, a rate that is increasing relative to the increase of global warming. (Hughes & Bediones)
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The melting of the Himalayan glaciers can have a devastating effect not only on China, but the area as a whole. These effects are not only environmental, but also directly impact the human population of the region. For example, the water supply of hundreds of millions of Chinese citizens comes from rivers whose sources are the Himalayan glaciers. (Clark) Furthermore, glacier melting entails raised water levels, thereby engendering the vast human population that resides on flood plains. (Clark) The effects of glacial melting have already been demonstrated, as from the period of 2003 to 2009, the glaciers lost approximately 174 gigatonnes of water, which in turn triggered devastating floods in Indian rivers. (Laghari) The glacier melting also endangers energy supply.
To the extent that hydroelectric power is an alternative to carbon-based energy, which also contributes to global warming, this option is endangered by the glacial melting, in so far as predictive models about water and river flow, necessary to hydroelectric planning become unreliable. (Laghari) Himalayan glacial melting could be relieved by moving away from carbon-based energy, but this alternative itself becomes less tenable because of this same carbon-based energy. This underscores the contemporary necessity for energy alternatives in the region, as one of the key alternatives could be eliminated if action is not taken in a timely manner.
Impact Projections
This transformation of the area’s water supplies for China has a radical impact.
Chinese officials have already considered changing the agricultural focus of the area, for example, moving away from crops that require much water. (Ives) Furthermore, proposals have been made to re-think irrigations practices, so as to adequately manage the anticipated impact of such changes. (Cooke)
These strategies imply a certain inevitability to the altering of the area’s hydrological landscape, thus projecting an impact on the level of how agricultural itself is practiced. At the same time, such impact projections also indicate that Chinese energy planning strategy is not concerned with confronting global warming, but prioritizes the contemporary industrialization of China as necessary at this moment in China’s development. In other words, global warming and the melting of the glaciers has been accepted as a necessary consequence of Chinese development.
Conclusion
The melting of the Himalayan glaciers radically affects the Chinese population of
the affected areas most basic needs, such as water supply, while also potentially causing a humanitarian catastrophe that would be the result of flooding. There are also clear alterations to the life of people in the region, as the impact of the melting will force radical changes in agricultural practices, from irrigation methods to the very type of crops that are produced. Nevertheless, the Chinese approach to the issue has been to accept the glacier melting as to a certain extent inevitable and plan accordingly. There is no greater re-evaluation of energy policy which would tackle the problem of global warming itself. This could be interpreted as the prioritization of the political over the environmental: in order for China to sustain its growth and by extension geopolitical influence, it cannot move away from carbon based energy.
- Clark, Pillita. “IPCC head warns on Himalayan melting glaciers”, The Financial Times, September 22, 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014 at
http://www.ft.com - Cooke, Kieran. “Himalaya glacial melt set to peak by 2070”, Responding to Climate Change, August 12, 2013. Retrieved 10 May 2014 at
http://www.rtcc.org/2013/08/12/himalaya-glacial-melt-set-to-peak-by-2070/ - Hughes, Stephanie & Bediones, Jerome. Himalayan Glacier Retreat & Effects.
Seattle, WA: University of Washington, Department of Atmospheric
Sciences, 2013. - Ives, Mike. “Melting Glaciers May Worsen Northwest China’s Water Woes.”
Environment 360, July 26, 2012. Retrieved 10 May 2014 at
http://e360.yale.edu - Laghari, Javaid. “Climate change: Melting glaciers bring energy uncertainty.” Nature:
International Weekly Journal of Science, October 30, 2013. Retrieved 9 May
2014 at
http://www.nature.com/news/climate-change-melting-glaciers-bring-energy-
uncertainty-1.14031
