ISLAMABAD: The glaciers in Indian occupied Kashmir are melting by more than half a meter every year, but its long-term impact remains unknown in the absence of water data from downstream rivers, European scientists have warned.
According to Kashmir Media Service, Norwegian scientist Andreas Kaab at the University of Oslo said: "In most of the satellite images that we used to support our study, the glaciers in J&K look really bad with not much snow accumulation area left."
Andreas Kaab and his French colleagues used satellite data to study glaciers in the HKKH region, in the wake of many conflicting reports on present conditions and future of the Himalayan glaciers.
They said that glaciers in Jammu and Kashmir were receding by 0.66 meter every year. "It is hard to tell how much water surplus is right now in downstream rivers as we lack sufficient discharge measurements. I expect a considerable effect of Jammu and Kashmir glacier melt on river discharge, but cannot quantify it," he said.
The situation is not so bad in other parts of Himalayas. Except for Karakoram, glaciers in the HKKH region melt at a rate similar to glacier melting rates elsewhere, they added.
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