Uttarakhand - Department of Land Resources

ecological niches. Mountain ecosystems also constitute an important element of the
hydrological cycle hence both influencing climatic conditions and being impacted
them. Sudden changes in critical variables such as temperature and precipitation
can adversely impact the snow and ice cover, glacial flows and hence impact life and
livelihoods of communities downstream.
Thus the State of Uttarakhand having immense natural resource endowments in the
form of forest and water resources, high livelihood dependency on a climatesensitive
sector such as agriculture and with about 36.5% of the population below
poverty line, is at high vulnerability to climate change.
Impact on Water resources: The Himalayas constitute one of the most important
glaciers systems in the world and contribute to 69% of India‟s freshwater. The
Gangotri glacier in the Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand has been receding at the
rate of 20-22 m annually, with grave implications for water availability downstream
and hydropower generation. Glacial melting can lead to formation of GLOFs (Glacial
Lake Outburst Floods) and heavy flows initially followed by dry spells. Precipitation is
the main source of water in Uttarakhand, accumulating as snow on the mountain
slopes in the Trans and Great Himalayan region. There are four major river systems
in the state, viz. the Bhagirathi – Alaknanda, Ganga, the Yamuna-Tons and the Kali
constituting nearly 900 glaciers, in addition to other sources of water such as lakes,
streams, rivulets and springs. The state has witnessed a long-term decreasing trend
of stream discharges, decline in capacities of the lakes, increase in surface runoff on
hillsides, increase in floodwater, decrease in base flow water in channels and rivers,
and recurrent soil erosion and landslips.
Impact on agriculture: Variations in climatic factors can affect crop yields either
directly via changes in temperature, precipitation and/or CO 2 concentrations or
indirectly via changes in soil properties and distribution of pests. Variability in
precipitation has implications both for the economic growth of agriculture-based
economies and for the food security of the nation. In India, it is estimated that a
temperature rise of 2°C could lower the yields of staple crops such as wheat and rice
by 10% and reduce farm revenues (DFID, 2006). Nearly 78% of the population in
Uttarakhand is dependent on agriculture for livelihood. Agriculture in Uttarakhand is
106