An Overview of the Hydrological Responses of the Northern Himalayan Basin Under Climate Variability

The significant changes have been observed over the Northern Himalayan (NH) region due to human intervention and climate change. The common issues facing NH regions include winter rainfall, cloudbursts, melting of glaciers, and a rise in the rainfall intensity and temperature. The flood catastrophe, which results in significant losses to property, people, and infrastructure, among other things. Managing the flood is a complex phenomenon under the widely reported global warming in the Himalayan region of India. The current study focuses on the Remote sensing (RS) and Geographical Information System (GIS) applications in hydrological modelling over the NH regions. The article further highlights disturbance in the hydrological cycle due to climate change (viz., precipitation, temperature) and anthropogenic activity, resulting in flood risk, which is a common issue faced in NH regions. Furthermore, the increased anthropogenic activity, deforestation, global warming, and unplanned urban growth have heightened the susceptibility of NH regions to hydrological disasters.