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SUMMARY:Snow cover variability in Western Himalayas and its implications o
 n socio-economic status and livelihood of local communities - Dr Shresth T
 ayal\, The Energy and Resources Institute\, New Delhi
DTSTART:20170511T130000Z
DTEND:20170511T140000Z
UID:TALK72562@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Dr Alexandra Weiss
DESCRIPTION:Evaluation of Snow Covered Areas is important for hydrological
  and climatological studies. However\, this is equally important for socio
 -economic studies and developing policies and programs affecting the livel
 ihood of local communities. Western Himalayas receive limited precipitatio
 n through monsoon during the summer season\, and western disturbances duri
 ng the winter season are primarily responsible for moisture availability i
 n the region. Hence\, snow/ ice melt contributes about 56% of water to riv
 ers flowing from western Himalayas\, especially during the early and mid s
 ummer season\, in Jhelum basin. \nThe evaluation of Snow cover area using 
 the MODIS 8-day composite snow cover data has been done by researchers in 
 the Himalayan regions. Similarly\, studies on vulnerability of local commu
 nities to climate change induced environmental hazards have been conducted
  adopting an index based approach to quantify impacts. While snow cover va
 riability studies have limited applicability for socio-economic planners d
 ue to their regional approach\, socio-economic studies are limited to adap
 tation measures for climate change and associated disasters like heavy pre
 cipitation events and flash floods. This study is an attempt to identify l
 inkages between assessment of snow cover variability and its applicability
  to adapt normal livelihood patterns of local communities. \nMODIS Terra 8
 -day maximum snow products freely available at NSIDC of NASA\, for the pas
 t 15 year (2001–2015) was used in this study\, to examine the snow cover
  variability in Jhelum basin of western Himalayas. Simultaneously\, this s
 tudy aimed to quantify the degree of dependence of local communities on me
 lt water by linking their income generating activities to the indicators i
 dentified through socio-economic survey in the region. A zone of impact an
 d a zone of influence was delineated to define the spatial variability in 
 livelihood vulnerability. \nAnnual range of snow cover in Jhelum basin was
  found to be 1% - 52% but a general variation of maximum and minimum SCA w
 as found to be ±15% for the study period. While SCA was found to be incre
 asing during both summers and winters seasons\, within the winter season i
 t varied from 24%-46%-30% during early\, mid and late winters in Jhelum ba
 sin.\nAs defined by Chambers and Conway (1992)\, ‘a livelihood comprises
  of capabilities\, assets (stores\, resources\, claims and access) and act
 ivities required for a means of living’. Snow cover being the direct ind
 icator of water availability in the regions with little liquid precipitati
 on\, its variability affects livelihood. In Jhelum basin\, education level
 s are low and general family size is >6. As a result\, major source of hou
 sehold income to the local population is through cultivation of crops like
  apple\, walnuts and saffron. Another prominent source of income is touris
 m and at least 1 member of every family is associated with tourism limited
  to spring months of a year. These two constitute about 95% dependence of 
 local income on snow melt. \nAlmost 70% area of Jhelum basin is less than 
 3000 m in elevation\, which is also the inhabited zone. But the rate of SC
 A depletion is very fast reducing by almost 50% within 2 months of late wi
 nters-early summers from their peak\, limiting time\n
LOCATION:British Antarctic Survey\, Room 187
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