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As glaciers disappear in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, one man is helping farmers irrigate their fields by storing water in an innovative way
May 24, 2010 | 43
The high-altitude desert of Leh in northern India falls in the rain shadow of the Himalayas, receiving as little precipitation as the Sahara. Farming is possible only in valleys fed by glacial runoff, and these are becoming scarcer as glaciers disappear due to warming....[More]
The village of Stakmo, at 300 meters above sea level, is reached by a dusty road that winds through the barren Ladakhi landscape. The slopes surrounding the village were cloaked with three glaciers 30 years ago, but villagers say that over the past decade the glaciers have vanished, leaving nothing but bare rock....[More]
Retired local engineer Chewang Norphel has been working on a method to create artificial glaciers. He approached the villagers at Stakmo and offered his help.
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Norphel began by constructing stone walls in the slopes above the village to divert the runoff from winter precipitation into an area that is shaded from the sun during winter and spring by the mountain....[More]
A series of embankments slowed the freezing water for long enough that it could build up into an artificial glacier.
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Villagers helped Norphel to build retaining walls for a storage reservoir that would act as a second glacier, fed by excess runoff from the primary glacier higher up the slope.
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During winter, the glacier formed as planned, storing water that would otherwise have flowed away past the village of Stakmo.
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During the crucial sowing season, the artificial glacier began melting, releasing much-needed water to the villagers.
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Carefully constructed irrigation channels were built by Stakmo villagers under Norphel's guidance.
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Previously barren fields in Stakmo were turned green by the stored water from the artificial glacier.
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Harvests increased threefold in Stakmo, and villagers began planting more than one crop per year.
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"We have so much [wheat] yield now that we are even selling some," says Tashi Angmo, who lives in Stakmo. "People who moved away are starting to return to the village because there is hope now."...[More]
Thanks to Norphel's man-made glacier, the villagers now have enough grass to store for their animals. It means that they no longer have to let herds in search of grazing patches roam far into the mountains, where they are easy prey for snow leopards and wolves....[More]
Norphel is continually improving his design, adding more glaciers higher up and near different villages. "Water is the most important thing we have....[More]
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43 Comments
Add CommentMeanwhile, the country that could do the most to solve this is busy sitting on their hands, arguing about whether or not it's really their fault.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSince global warming isn't occurring, what exactly is the point of this article, other than to spout propaganda?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisAnd since the Earth is flat, why all this talk about mountains? Propaganda, for sure.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@Fgrough,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Since global warming isn't occurring, what exactly is the point of this article, other than to spout propaganda?"
So you think that the reporting in this article is a lie? When the writer of the article notes that :
"Global warming has hit the region particularly hard. Around the principal town of Leh, most of the glaciers have disappeared in the past 15 years. The snow line has risen more than 150 meters, and remaining glaciers have retreated by as much as 10 kilometers."
You have evidence that area around Leh is not experiencing these problems? Do tell, other wise I am going to dismiss you as another fossil fuel shill, who never even bothered to read the article he is commenting on.
The Earth is warming, but it is not due to human pollution.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPeople live in hazardous locations - on volcanoes, on fault lines, and in this case, on deserts.
Situations look bad, but remember that everyone is living in conditions for their maximum karmic opportunity of advancement of consciousness.
Just trust in God.
"The Earth is warming, but it is not due to human pollution."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThanks for the baseless assertion!
This is a great article showing how ingenuity and caring can really make a difference. I hope someone is giving Chewang Norphel some support of some kind (besides the villagers).
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhether it's man made or not since time immemorial the climate has changed, and people have moved to survive those changes, so what these people should be doing is moving to more hospital lands because the ice is going to melt.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this@eldersage : "The Earth is warming, but it is not due to human pollution."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisOh, really? Oh, well, then...every one, listen up! Some anonymous dimwit on the Internet has said it's not humans causing the climate changes. He didn't back it up with any kind of evidence or anything, but his name suggests that he's old and sort of a sage, so I think we can trust him!
Phew! Glad we got that sorted out before Al Gore got any richer!
It is warming due to solar magnetic surface cycles. See the works by David R Hawkins, the science of Truth."
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPlease present peer reviewed evidence that this is the case citing non-academic works are not acceptable. I do hope Mr. Hawkins has an explanation for why the Stratosphere is cooling while the Troposphere is cooling.
@drafter,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"Whether it's man made or not since time immemorial the climate has changed,and people have moved to survive those changes..."
Can you tell me where we are going to put all those coastal cities? I am curious where they moved N.Y.C the last time the ocean rose substantially. Oh, wait...
"....what these people should be doing is moving to more hospital lands because the ice is going to melt."
Yea, why do anything about preventing it! Wait what?
"The Earth is warming, but it is not due to human pollution." - ElderKookTard
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe laws of radiative physics and thermodymics tell us that your childish assertion is wrong. And since they are the basis of all modern science, your assertion is equivalent to claiming that all of modern science is wrong.
Yet that same science has provided you with the very computer that you are using to proclaim your childish nonsense.
I find that to be a logical discontinuity. Don't you?
It us really wonderful to read about the transformation and hats off to Norpel for the wonderful idea!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHats off to Nrphel for the wonderful idea!!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"eldersage" - "trust in God"? These villagers have seen the data around them and made the choice to do something about it with their own hands. Unlike most of us. Thank God they have not chosen to ignore the evidence and do nothing while the system that supports them begins to fail. Trust in God for what? - a miracle to save us from a mess we caused while we choose to ignore the problem?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisPretty amazing really. One man's idea implemented to feed 10,000 people. It is adversity that will change our attitudes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"...People have moved to survive those changes..." -drafter
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisSimplistic, implicit assumption that population of 7 billion is not near carrying capacity, and a near future pop of 10B won't be either.
Solve this problem? eh?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe climate is changing. The climate has *always* been changing. This story is about glaciers- relics from an ice age. The ice age is gone, and no new natural glaciers are forming. I’ve quite happy the climate has changed since then.
I think it's the height of arrogance to believe that the climate we experience now is the "correct" one for the planet- and must be controlled to make it static.
Let it change. It always has, and always will. We shall adapt, and prosper in those changes. (See original story)
And back to the original story, they really just made water reservoirs in a very cold climate. I don't see how they are glaciers. Having said that, this is a very good use of engineering to solve basic survival problems!
@Flat Pespi,
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"I think it's the height of arrogance to believe that the climate we experience now is the "correct" one for the planet- and must be controlled to make it static."
You do realize that this time we are changing the climate? Do you make any distinction at all between sentient action and mindless natural phenomena or is it all the same to you?
So tells us all, is it better to have a city above sea level or underneath it?
I trust in the god that gave me a brain.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe brain that knows if it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, and there is nothing else that can explain it's "duckness" then we should base public policy on it being, in fact, a duck.
And if it we expect manmade global warming, we see global warming,, and nothing else is currently warming the globe then......it's global warming. And we should act accordingly.
To the soi-disant Eldersage:
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisYou wrote "Trust in God".
Much older sages than you said: "Trust in God -- but tie your camel."
As you grow ever "elder", may you grow ever "sager".
"I think it's the height of arrogance to believe that the climate we experience now is the "correct" one for the planet- and must be controlled to make it static." - FlatTire
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think it is the height of stupidity to believe that the biosphere has not evolved to be optimal for the temperature regime of the recent past.
I base my belief on the tenants of evolutionary biology.
On what do you base your ignorance? More ignorance?
For crying out loud, why the hell can't some of you people just give credit where credit's due instead of trying to turn it into some damned political agenda.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThere was a problem, a serious problem that was destroying villages, livelihoods etc (for WHATEVER reason, though personally I think it's Global warming), and this guy decided that he knew how to tackle the problem and went and did so.
The people he helped were themselves instrumental in making this happen, and what a feeling of accomplishment and community they must now all have. Brilliant, just absolutely brilliant.
Although I am a scientist I did take some courses in social psychology and learned that people with closed belief systems resist new information and keep their preexisting beliefs either by ignoring or rationalizing the information to fit their beliefs. Every scientist should read "When Prophecy Fails" is a 1956 classic book in social psychology by Leon Festinger, Henry Riecken, and Stanley Schachter about a UFO cult that came up with a predicted the end of the world date/time and made major commitments to that belief; sold everything, went to the desert and waited for the end. When the appointed date and time came and nothing happened what do you think they did with their belief? (note: "dang, we called this one wrong" is not one of the correct answers)
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisMany of the SA readers believe god (that would be "their" god) will come in and save the day; others believe in the tooth fairy or like the cult above revised their "belief" .... that they were correct with the date/time prediction but god saw how pious their group was and gave humanity "one one more chance". Ergo, they saved the world by what they did!! (how is that for a wonderful "belief" to take to the bank)
I for one am impressed with the work of Mr. Norphel and the villagers. They worked tiogether to solve a common problem. Perhaps we can use similar practices on other common problems.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe point of the article is not what's causing global warming but that its happening and how one person is dealing with it.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThank you. You made me giggle just when I was starting to get peeved.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisvendicar9 said: "I think it is the height of stupidity to believe that the biosphere has not evolved to be optimal for the temperature regime of the recent past.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"I base my belief on the tenants of evolutionary biology."
Dude, you do know that evolutionary biology only applies to... well, biology. Planetary processes don't really work that way.
This is an exceptional case study of appropriate engineering, Norphel should be nominated for the Rolex awards or something.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisLive-and-Learn - So you are saying that evolutionary biology does not have any relation to planetary processes such as atmosphere content and density, volcanic activity, weather patterns, etc.? You do realize that you are saying that polar bears can live in the sahara desert or whales on the top of mount Everest don't you?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisBiology adapts to its environment. Find a better arguement to make your case because the one you chose is pretty silly.
A question - Notice the wheat is shocked which we used to do 75 years ago and than thrashed through a Separater Machine. Is something similar used there? Amazed by the Ingenuity of the people involved in the Glac ier operation!
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA very nice, hopeful article, and reassurance that we CAN do something. However, if the population of that area is allowed to exceed the new carrying capacity provided by the additional water, all will have been for nought. It would be nice to see the people of the area limit demands on the area due to population growth, additional agriculture etc. Though not perfect perhaps, the point is well made in Jared Diamond's book "Collapse", which deserves a read by all who posted to this blog, at least.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisWhile it is all fine and dandy to blame the "god will save us" group, I know they can irritate me, it's amazing how those with "opened" minds act in the same manner, but just use a different "god".
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe US is not now, nor will it ever again be the largest world polluter. While it is fun for progressives to bash the US, the fact is that the US is far from the worst polluter. Most studies do it per capita however, that would be erroneous for many reasons and assumes an equality between countries that doesn't exist except in the dreams of the most fanatical humanists. Government systems, economic conditions, population and a million other factors affect the per capita numbers. A large Capitalist country that controls their population will look worse, though they produce more per capita and live lives that most others would never actually work for.
http://www.allcountries.org/maps/urban_air_pollution_maps.html
Some of you will not like the data, others will dispute WHO. But it looks to me like ASIA is creating it's own problem - that is if data is the tool of choice. The fella that created this system should be praised for great work and mitigation, but in the long run, like BucketofSquid says, evolutionary biology will win out every time. He who is most fit, survives. Not just a good idea, it's the law.
Anyone who thinks they can just sit around and trust in a "God" of any sort to save them from their own stupidity is a dunce. Humans have caused the Earth's global temperature to rise significantly, and we have not demonstrated that we are capable of changing that quickly
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGlaciers are naturally occurring, but only recently have they begun to retreat. In not-too-previous years, they were studied, and shown to be formed and melt as they slide along. It's not like melting of glaciers is just a continuation of the end of the last ice age... this is a recent development. If this were a continuation of the last ice age, they would have been gone thousands of years ago based on the rate they're retreating now.
All that aside, the article highlights a genius engineering job, the amount of water they managed to freeze in a man-made glacier is incredible, and the results even more so.
If it only rains 5 centimeters a year in this mountainous region, how did the glaciers form in the first place and maintain a constant size up until 30 years ago?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow much CO2 is released when compact ice melts?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this"If it only rains 5 centimeters a year in this mountainous region, how did the glaciers form in the first place and maintain a constant size up until 30 years ago?"
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisGoogle: Glacier+Mass Balance.
What is important is not whether man caused it or not, but what man can do about it. The flawed thinking is in believing that the two questions are mutually exclusive.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisScience cannot prove conclusively that global warming is caused by human activity, since there are other factors involved, but people who deal in marginal concepts understand that even a 1% contribution can tip the scales of any event. So the real question isn't who caused it, but can we do anything about it?
This is a wonderful project, but it must not divert us from addressing the causes of climate change, rather than simply the consequences. We must reduce greenhouse gas emissions as a matter of the highest priority so that millions of people don't starve because of colossal harvest failures induced by changing climate.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisA Himalayan Ladakhi natives idea to store glacier water.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisI think,the Ladakhi village man (engineer) Chewang Norphel has adopted a novel idea to store the glacier melted water for harvesting. I believe,The BBC & Shell world challenge should entry the man and his lovely idea and honor him with prize money,so he can utilize the funds for betterment of his novel idea and help poor natives to cultivate in time and with out water problem.
I think BBC & SHELL World challenge prize money should go to the man in Ladakh.His novel idea and work to be honored.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisIt is a lovely task to reserve the glacier melted water for harvesting.
Based on their lack of logic and common-sense, it is apparent that many commenters about this article must have I.Q.s much smaller than their belt size. Scientific American should do a study on why these idiots are drawn to a scientific arena that they don't have the level of intelligence to understand yet sensibly analyze or criticize.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisRather than hot air, I'll stick to cold facts.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisFirst, congratulations to Chewang Norphel for this impressive initiative, and to the Scientific American for presenting the story.
To be ‘Scientific’ this is NOT a real glacier, as the ice forms from water not from snow. Behind the stone dam, sealed by its ice wall, there is either a) water covered by ice; or b) solid ice.
‘Water covered by ice’ would be unlikely to have ice more than 2 metres of ice. ’Solid ice’ would be safer and melt more steadily in spring. Solid ice can be 5 to 7 metres thick if a thin sheet of flowing water repeatedly freezes as a thin layer of ice The result is a thick ice shield made of a stack of thin ice. This is called a ‘naled’ (Russian), ‘Aufeis’(German), Taryn (Yakutian) and Khalia Toshin (Mongolian). The ice shield may survive into summer as Galan Mos (Mongolian for ‘brilliant ice’) and linger as permanent ice ON the ground, not to be confused with ‘permafrost’ that is IN the ground.
Thousands of naled ice shields form every winter in Alaska, Canada and Siberia, and from the melt water of glaciers in the Himalayas, Spitzbergen, North America and on the Greenland coast. We have used high definition satellite images to detected thousands more in Mongolia, Inner Mongolia, Central Asia and near Beijing – often far from permafrost areas.
To download a kmz file of locations, go to: www.mine.mn/WPJ10_supplement_Google_Earth_kmz.htm
To download a pdf file of ‘Asian Ice Shields and Climate Change’ go to: www.mine.mn/WPJ10_3_naleds.htm
Naleds are often several hundred metres across and tens of km long. Ice shields, unlike snow, resist warming to serve as natural buffers against Climate Change, and maintain oases in regions dominated by desertification.
We have two proposals:
1: “Reverse Permafrost Loss” by growing naleds in winter to chill the ground sufficient for permafrost to form, and for the melt water to irrigate saplings steadily in spring and summer. As far as we know this is the first practical proposal in the world to create permafrost. www.mine.mn/WPJ10_supplement_Ice_Shields.htm
2: “Cool Parks for Cool Cities” by growing naleds that survive into summer to abate the Urban Heat Island Effect of cities, bringing recreational and health benefits, as well as irrigating wetlands and woodlands. We propose to “supercharge” city parks by inserting naleds that survive like stranded icebergs in summer. Cool Parks enable Climate Change Adaptation by cities, and cut dependence on air conditioning. www.mine.mn/WPJ10_2_Cool_Parks.htm
Cool indeed...