NEW DELHI: The European Union (EU) has launched an ambitious 3 million euros programme to save the Himalayan glaciers. The project known as the ‘HighNoon’ research project aims to assess the impact of Himalayan glaciers’ retreat and possible changes of the Indian summer monsoon on the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources in Northern India.
A press release from the European Commission office said the three-year project would bring together leading research institutions in Europe – Netherlands, the UK and Switzerland – and India – TERI, IIT-Delhi & Kharagpur. Japan has also been invited to join the project.
European Commission’s Ambassador to India Daniele Smadja said the project was part of joint research in the field of climate change. Giving details of the project, he said it would work towards integrating available climate and hydrological data and state-of-the-art regional models. The basic approach of the project is to link the results of improved climate modelling to estimation of practical and applicable adaptation measures.
The main aspects of this project include: developing scenarios for snowmelt and monsoon patterns, based on improved regional climate simulations; developing realistic regional socio-economic scenarios and assess the changing water resources using regional models; providing developed methodology for prioritisation of adaptation measures to be used as a design tool in the selection of adaptation options; and developing specific multi-sector adaptation measures in consultation with stakeholders.
It also aims to identify and quantify issues related to changing water resources availability in Northern India at present and in the future, and provide policy makers, water managers and water users in the Ganges River basin with applicable strategies to cope with current and potential future water-related problems.
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