LONDON — India and China are in talks to monitor the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, a border region crucial to both countries’ water supplies, India Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh has said. ‘We are talking to the Chinese about monitoring the Himalayan glaciers,’ Ramesh told the Financial Times. However, he said India would not allow Chinese scientists ‘to climb all over India’s glaciers’ but wanted a collaborative research programme. He said as part of a scientific investigation into the health of what are called the ‘Water Towers of Asia’, academic research bodies on both sides of the mountain range would share information. He said New Delhi is open to dialogue on water resources with Beijing, adding the two countries shared the concerns. Ramesh is visiting China this month to strike a deal with Beijing ahead of the Copenhagen talks on climate change in December.
Thursday, August 13th, 2009
India, China To Cooperate Over Himalayan Glaciers
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Source: Press Trust of India (India)
Publication Date: 3-Aug-09
Link: India, China To Cooperate Over Himalayan Glaciers
Source: Press Trust of India (India)
Publication Date: 3-Aug-09
Link: India, China To Cooperate Over Himalayan Glaciers
Stephan: The lives of 1.4 billion people are tied to the Himalyan glacial hydrology. The effects on the social order of both India and China as a result of the glaciers melting can hardly be over-emphasized. Matters could get very grave, and the ripples will spread across the planet. So this report is welcome because it describes a positive trend of engagement.