IMPLICATIONS OF CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HIMALAYAN REGION AND ITS IMPACT ON INDIAN SECURITY

Abstract

The world’s third largest freshwater stores are in the Himalayan glaciers. The potential loss of this water resource from climate change in 21st century has serious impact on environment and India’s national security as well. Sometimes known as “The Third Pole”, the Himalayan glaciers contain the world’s third largest store of freshwater after the Antarctic and Arctic. Since the ecology of the region is so finely balanced, with glacier runoff providing a regular pattern of melt water into the region’s largest rivers and acting as a backup supply of water in the event of monsoon failure. Even minor climate changes can have a devastating environmental effect on the life blood of more than 25% (1.3 billion People) of the world’s population. This source is not inexhaustible and with accelerated melting of Himalayan glaciers the water shortages in the long run would be the cause interstate and intrastate conflicts as millions of lives would be at stake in the region. Sea levels threaten to rise higher than previously anticipated. And water supplies are increasingly at risk from
both melting glaciers and extreme climate events, such as droughts and floods. These changes threaten not only the climate, but also security and stability of India. The melting of Himalayan glacier due to climate change also poses a complex security challenge in the form of forced migration and resource based conflicts. Thus, the melting of Himalayan glacier due to climate change poses a systemic challenge to India’s national security. Therefore, it is necessary to understand how India and its neighbours viewed climate change and its impact. What is the impact of Climate Change on water resources and livelihoods in the greater Himalayas rising temperatures lead to less precipitation in the form of snow? Does climate change and melting of glaciers create security problems for India? Will it
become a critical driver in our relations with the neighbouring countries? Will there be implications of climate change for internal security? The scope of this paper is to understand the geopolitical dimensions of climate change and it’s implications for India’s national security.