Devastating Flood in Himalayas Highlights Risks of Development in the Era of Climate Change
Climate change and hydroelectricity power projects compounded the devastating destruction of the February 7 flood in Uttarakhand.
Glaciers may seem remote from the concerns of most people in the world. Their location atop high mountains makes them distant from population centers. Yet they bring new insights at the present time, since they lie at the frontlines of climate change. The mountain communities who take steps to address changing water supplies and natural hazards provide lessons for others who seek new forms of adaptation, policy and advocacy. The researchers who integrate geoscience and ecology in the study of landscapes guide research in sustainability in other areas as well. And the sheer beauty and majesty of glaciers inspire Indigenous peoples, climbers, artists and others, showing the depth of human connection to the natural world. Each week, GlacierHub offers these stories and images, showing the relevance of the world’s high icy places for all humanity.
The GlacierHub blog is managed by Ben Orlove, an anthropologist at the Earth Institute and the Center for Research on Environmental Decisions at Columbia University. Writers Emily O’Hara, Evan Lim, Isabel Amos-Landgraf, Leesa Ko and Kelcie Walther are currently enrolled at, or recently graduated from, Columbia University. Elza Bouhassira, a graduate of the Sciences Po-Columbia University Dual BA Program, is senior editor.
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Climate change and hydroelectricity power projects compounded the devastating destruction of the February 7 flood in Uttarakhand.
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