How much can a glacier change within a century? Take a look at the picture. Its shows view of West Rongbuk Glacier and Mount Everest, taken in 1921 (top) by Major E.O. Wheeler and in 2009 (bottom) by David Breashears. (Photo courtesy of the Royal Geographical Society). David Breashears who has climbed the Everest more than twice was in for a surprise when he revisited the area in 2009.
The loss of these frozen reservoirs of water will have a huge impact, as the glaciers provide seasonal flows to nearly every major river system in Asia. From the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra in South Asia, to the Yellow and Yangtze Rivers in China, hundreds of millions of people are partially dependent on this vast arc of high-altitude glaciers for water.
As the glaciers recede and release stored water, flows will temporarily increase. But once these ice reservoirs are spent, the water supply for a sprawling, overpopulated continent will be threatened, and the impacts on water resources and food security could be dire. We do not seem to recognise the significance of this.
It shows, in the recent news that a Texan company is planning to ship Alaskan water from the Blue Lake reservoir to India! To be sold at a penny a gallon, the firm will make $26 million annually for the city. The best way out of water scarcity???!
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