Impact of climate change on major river basins in India: The Indo-Gangetic-Plains

900 million people (1/8th of the population of the world)

• Nearly half of this land is devoted to feeding and providing livelihoods to

  1.8 billion people.

• 80% of the cereal production

  (rice and wheat) in these countries come from here. This system is fundamental to employment,income and livelihoods for hundreds of millions of rural and urban poor.
• A change and impact on any of the systems will create large-scale chaos and will have long-term effect on

  1/4th of the population

  of the Earth.
• This region houses over 15 major cities.

The Indo-Gangetic Plain Region (IGPR) entirely depends on the waters from these major river systems of Yamuna, Ganga, Sutlej, Indus, Kosi, Ravi etc. It is a vast space and home to many rivers and their tributaries. It is the world?s most extensive tract of uninterrupted alluvium. Deep, river-deposited sediments give rise to very fertile soils. These plains are one of World?s most intensely farmed areas. Rice, wheat, maize, sugarcane, cotton and several different types of crops are grown here.

The IGPR receives, on an average, annual rainfall of 150 cm (east) and 50 cm (west). By 2050 this at least 50% of Indo-Gangetic plain which is a ideal low-rainfall, irrigated and temperate region will become heat-stressed, short season area. The conditions here will start looking like Sudan or Nigeria. The reduced yields will affect 200 million people.

This area is considered one of the very vulnerable and high-risk areas in future for water shortages due to a growing population and climate change. This area is already under stress with increasing competition for land, and by the rapidly deteriorating agricultural and water systems. Any changes in rainfall, groundwater or weather patterns will affect this highly vulnerable area and will affect the food production in this area throwing the resource-poor population into chaotic conditions. The IGP will primarily be affected by the glacier melting impacts and heat waves and extreme climates. The overall rainfall pattern is not expected to change too much.

• Effects on the Ganga-Brahmaputra Delta regions 
• Effect on river Kosi river basin
• The Mahanadi river basin  
• References
• Further Readings