Strong policies on black carbon can sharply cut glacier melt, says World Bank study
The Hindu
Enacting new policies can achieve benefits over the projected 23% reduction in Black Carbon as a result of ongoing efforts.
Black Carbon (BC) deposits produced by human activity which accelerate the pace of glacier and snow melt in the Himalayan region can be sharply reduced through new, currently feasible policies by an additional 50% from current levels, new research by World Bank (WB) specialists has said. The research report from the WB covers the Himalaya, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges, where, it says, glaciers are melting faster than the global average ice mass. The rate of retreat of HKHK glaciers is estimated to be 0.3 metres per year in the west to 1.0 metre per year in the east. BC adds to the impact of climate change. Full implementation of current policies to mitigate BC can achieve a 23% reduction by 2040 but enacting new policies and incorporating them through regional cooperation among countries can achieve enhanced benefits, the WB said in its research report titled “Glaciers of the Himalayas, Climate Change, Black Carbon and Regional Resilience” released on Thursday.More Related News