Himalaya

The breathtaking Himalayas, with their towering mountains and expansive glaciers, are now among the world’s most vulnerable regions to the impacts of climate change. According to recent findings, as much as one-third of Himalayan glaciers may disappear by the end of this century—a shift that would have serious repercussions for water resources, food security, and energy availability throughout the region. To study these critical changes, I joined a team of scientists from the National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research (NCPOR) who are conducting long-term glaciological research on six benchmark glaciers in the Chandra basin, located in the Lahaul and Spiti district. Each year, these scientists face extreme conditions to gather essential data and monitor glacier health, providing vital insights into the effects of climate change in these remote, high-altitude environments.

​

One of the most challenging expeditions I undertook, involved nearly a month at 17,000 feet above sea level, where we documented the rigorous work of these scientists as they monitored the glaciers in one of the Earth’s most unforgiving landscapes.