Insight for Climate Resilience and District Level Developmental Planning for Disaster Risk Reduction in Himalayas: A Case of Uttarakhand

The Himalayan ecosystem is the key factor to ecological security of the Indian landmass providing forest cover, feeding perennial rivers which are the source of drinking water, irrigation and hydropower, inhabiting biodiversity, providing a rich base for agriculture system and spectacular landscapes for sustainable tourism. For centuries, snow (ice) has supported human survival in hilly regions. Fallen snow on the land provides the moisture for farming and pastures. Glacial snow melts and feeds the streams that are the lifeline of the hilly settlements. Due to Climate Change Himalayan glaciers have lost its volume endangering the flow of perennial rivers, especially in lean seasons, which (Northern rivers) are largely fed by melting glaciers. For past few decades the pattern has been observed that snow falls for shorter period and does not turn into hard ice making glaciers prone to melt early during summer. On top of it inconsistent and intense rainfalls has accelerated the melting of glaciers causing flash floods, washing away the homes, fields, trees and livestock. This chapter is focused on the Climate Change impacts on Indian Himalayas and suitable policy planning for reducing the impacts and increasing the overall well-being of the Himalayan people.