‘Pollution no longer just urban health crisis but direct threat to mountain ecosystems’
Abid Bashir
Srinagar, May 23: A dangerous layer of “climate soot” drifting through the skies of Kashmir is rapidly destroying the Valley’s glaciers, with scientists warning that black carbon pollution is accelerating the melting of Himalayan ice at an alarming pace.
A major study conducted by researchers from University of Kashmir (KU) has found that black carbon — a highly heat-absorbing pollutant produced from diesel exhaust, fossil fuel burning, industrial smoke, brick kilns and biomass combustion — is significantly contributing to glacier recession across the Kashmir Himalayas.
The research, led by noted glaciologist Professor Shakil Ahmad Romshoo, studied nine glaciers over a 28-year period from 1992 to 2020 using satellite imagery, field observations and atmospheric trajectory modelling. The findings revealed severe glacier retreat across the region, with glaciers losing an average of more than 20 per cent of their area and glacier snouts receding by nearly 14 meters every year.
Scientists say the most alarming discovery was the unusually high concentration of black carbon deposited over glacier surfaces.
Often referred to internationally as “climate soot,” black carbon consists of microscopic particles released during the incomplete combustion of fuels and organic matter. Once airborne, these particles travel long distances before settling on snow-covered mountains and glaciers.
Researchers explain that fresh snow naturally reflects most incoming sunlight back into the atmosphere. But when soot particles coat the snow, the bright white surface darkens, reducing its reflectivity — a phenomenon known as “albedo reduction.” As a result, glaciers absorb more solar radiation, heat up faster and melt at accelerated rates.
The KU study recorded black carbon concentrations ranging between 500 and 1364 nanograms per cubic meter at glacier sites — levels considered exceptionally high compared to many other parts of the Himalayas and the Tibetan Plateau.
The study suggests that even glaciers located at high altitudes are no longer insulated from pollution generated far below in urban centres and industrial zones.
Using HYSPLIT atmospheric trajectory models, the researchers traced the movement of polluted air masses over Kashmir and found that the glaciers are being impacted not only by local emissions but also by transboundary pollution transported through atmospheric circulation.
Environmental experts say emissions from increasing vehicular traffic, diesel generators, domestic heating systems, brick kilns, agricultural residue burning, and industrial activities are likely contributing heavily to the black carbon load over the Valley.
Scientists involved in the research warned that the melting of Kashmir’s glaciers could have devastating implications for the region’s ecological and economic future.
The glaciers of the Kashmir Himalayas act as natural freshwater reservoirs, feeding rivers, streams and springs that sustain agriculture, horticulture, hydropower projects and drinking water supplies. Rapid glacier retreat could disrupt river flow patterns, intensify seasonal water shortages and increase the risk of climate-related disasters.
Experts also fear that continued warming combined with accelerated ice melt may contribute to the formation of unstable glacial lakes, raising the threat of flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods in vulnerable mountain regions.
The study noted that Kashmir’s glaciers are receding faster than many other glaciers across the broader Himalayan arc, highlighting the growing environmental vulnerability of the region.
Researchers stressed that tackling black carbon emissions could produce faster climate benefits compared to many long-term greenhouse gas reduction strategies because black carbon remains in the atmosphere for a relatively shorter duration.
Climate experts say reducing diesel dependence, improving public transport, regulating industrial emissions and promoting cleaner energy sources could play a critical role in slowing glacier degradation in the Himalayas.
The study adds to mounting scientific evidence that pollution is no longer just an urban health crisis but a direct threat to the survival of Kashmir’s mountain ecosystems.
For researchers, the message is stark: every plume of smoke rising from traffic congestion, generators, factories, or biomass burning may ultimately be settling on the Himalayas — silently darkening the ice that sustains millions of lives downstream.
