Kashmir Weather Destabilizing - Delayed Snows, More Intense Floods, Droughts Hurting Farmers

[hatrack]

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According to the Indian Meteorological Agency, temperatures in Kashmir have risen by over one degree Celsius and are expected to continue rising at .05 degrees Celsius each year.

Ali Mohammed does not know about the changes in degrees, but knows what he sees when it comes to changes in weather patterns. "In the past the snow would start falling in December, but now the snow does not come until February and March, and it only snows a few inches," he says.

The data collected by Romshoo over the last 10 years shows that temperatures were consistently warmer than the average of the 50 years between 1947 and 1998. He says that the warmer winters have led to less snowfall and exponential increases in both the melting of snow and glaciers in the spring and summer. "The increase in temperatures will also have an effect on drinking water, irrigation, and hydropower," he says.

Dr. Jim Jarvie heads the Climate Unit at Mercy Corps, an international aid agency. "Countries around the world who find themselves dependent on glacial water systems will have two interrelated shocks in store," he says.

Traditional rainfall water supply practices will have to be revised so that proper irrigation systems can be implemented, he says. He also thinks that long-term glacier recession could lead to the demise of even the most basic water supplies.

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http://english.aljazeera.net/focus/climatesos/2009/12/20091278368975161.html