← All questionsGS1 · 2020 · Geography ·Himalayan Glacier Melt and India's Water
QUESTION 6
GS1
10 marks

How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India?

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7 min
150 words
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What the examiner wants

Explain how melting Himalayan glaciers will affect India's water resources in the short and long term.

ExplainMake clear how and why it happens: causes, process, and an example for each point.

Demand-wise check

  1. 1Short term: more river flow, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), floods≈30 words
  2. 2Long term: reduced lean-season flow in Indus, Ganga, Brahmaputra; peak water then decline≈30 words
  3. 3Effects: irrigation, hydropower, drinking water, groundwater recharge, transboundary disputes≈30 words
  4. 4Measures: glacier monitoring, storage, efficient use, GLOF early warning≈30 words

Open in about 20 words and close in about 20.

Answer plan

StatusShort-term effectsLong-term effectsSectoral impactMeasuresConclusion

Where marks usually go

  • No time dimension (short vs long term)
  • Ignoring GLOF risk

Draw this

  • Graph sketch: river flow rising then falling ('peak water')

Value addition

  • DataICIMOD (2023): Hindu Kush Himalayan glaciers melted 65% faster in 2011–20 than in the previous decade; up to 80% of volume could be lost by 2100 under high emissions.ICIMOD, Water, Ice, Society and Ecosystems in the HKH (2023)
  • ExampleThe South Lhonak lake outburst in Sikkim (October 2023) destroyed the Chungthang dam on the Teesta.NDMA / CWC

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