Facing severe climate change impact

A scientific study published on Wednesday revealed that the Himalayas, one of world's richest biodiversity zones, is warming faster than other parts of the globe. The research, conducted by Boston-based University of Massachusetts and Bangalore-based Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and Environment (ATREE) points that the average mean temperature during a 25-year period (1982-2006) in the Himalayas has increased by 1.50 degree Celsius. The researchers claimed that the rise in temperature in the Himalayas is three times greater than the increase in global average of temperature during the same period. "Our study reaffirmed that the Himalayas are indeed experiencing rapid climate and associated changes in various eco-regions," said Uttam Babu Shrestha, principal author of the paper. He said local people have been noticing changes in the growing patterns of plants. "Our study confirms such changes." According to the study, the average start of the growing season seems to have advanced by around 5 days in the Himalayas in the 25-year period from 1982 to 2006. "Much of the recent discussions on climate change in the Himalayas have been dominated by the extent of glacial melting. But changes in two most critical parameters of climate - temperature and precipitation - have not been yet fully analyzed," said Kamaljit S Bawa, ATREE president and professor at University of Massachusetts, Boston. According to the researchers, such rapid warming in the Himalayas will affect wildlife, biodiversity and livelihood of Himalayan communities in the near future.