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Glacial meltdown : Himalayan glaciers may disappear

The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's fourth assessment report predicts that three-fourth of India's forests will undergo dramatic changes and its two biggest catchments of Ganga and Brahmaputra will pose a grave risk of flooding to the region and its people.

Scientific evidence now exists to show that the world has already walked the first few steps towards the catastrophe.
Per capita water availability in India could drop from around 1,900 cubic metres currently to 1,000 cu m by 2025.

A major point in the report will be on glacial meltdown. Basic glacial studies combined with hard models show that Himalayan glaciers less than four km long will disappear entirely if average global temperatures rise by 3 degrees. This will initially cause increased flooding and mudslides followed by an eventual decrease in flow in rivers that are glacier-fed, impacting much of north India.

Changes in forests combined with direct impact of global warming will also affect watersheds and river systems. Changing soil productivity and water systems will adversely impact India’s food security.

Coastal areas are likely to experience a 10-20% increase in tropical cyclones coupled with an increase in sea surface temperatures of 2-4 degrees Celsius. The latter will result in an increase in sea level that will impact the densely packed coastline. The executive summary, finalised between scientists and diplomats of more than 100 countries, is backed by science to prove that climate change is already being recorded around the world and it's no more a game of crystal gazing.

Almost three-fourth of India's forests could undergo a change in their character, leading to dip in productivity. Livelihood of several millions could be affected as the produce from forests gets impacted due to these changes.

Invasive weed species like lantana will find it easy to make inroads into forest cover and forest fires could increase, further reducing valuable biodiversity