It's the lifeblood of the Hindu faith, the Holy river Ganges, and its days are numbered. India's 800-million Hindus are intimately linked to the Ganges even believing it can heal.
A UN climate report forewarns that the Himalayan glaciers that feed the Ganges, particularly during the dry summer months, could be gone by 2030. Once that happens, the Ganges will become a seasonal river dependent on monsoon rains.
There's a lot more to this than Hindu ritual. The already heavily polluted river still provides 500-million people, roughly half India's population, with water for drinking and farming. Obviously, a seasonal river isn't adequate for either purpose.
The Himalayan glacier retreat also threatens China where a number of rivers depend on their meltwater. Despite this, both India and China joined with the US at last month's G8 conference in refusing to accept mandatory caps on GHG emissions.
2 comments:
Thats a pretty weak link to GW...you should back this up with some, I dont know, facts?
Dave, the reference is there. It's the UN climate report on the Himalaya glaciers. You can find it at their website. The reality is that you don't want facts.
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