Study finds the Ganga river is drying faster than in 1,300 years, Pg11

Key Highlights:

• A study by IIT Gandhinagar and the University of Arizona indicates the Ganga river is drying at an unprecedented rate, unseen in 1,300 years.
• The study identifies weaker summer monsoons, human activities related to land and water usage, and broader climate shifts as contributing factors.
• Between 1991 and 2020, the Ganga basin experienced multiple four- to seven-year droughts, with the 2004-2010 drought being the most severe in 1,300 years.
• The post-1990s drying is estimated to be 76% more intense than the worst 16th-century drought.

Detailed Insights:

• The Ganga river sustains over 600 million people and is crucial to South Asia's economy, with the Ganga basin contributing 40% of India's GDP.
• Researchers combined tree-ring data from the Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas with hydrological models to reconstruct streamflow dating back to 700 AD.
• Statistical analyses suggest that weaker monsoons, linked to rapid Indian Ocean warming and aerosol pollution, along with groundwater pumping and land-use changes, are major drivers of the drying trend.
• The study questions the reliability of current global climate models, which fail to reproduce the observed drying trend, emphasizing the need for adaptive water management strategies.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Monsoon: Seasonal change in the direction of the prevailing winds of a region, causing distinct wet and dry seasons.
• Hydrological Models: Simplified, conceptual representation of a part of the hydrological cycle.
• Aerosol Pollution: Suspension of fine solid particles or liquid droplets in the air, contributing to air pollution and climate change.