UPSC Mains 2020 GS1 Q6 — Climate Change Impact
How will the melting of Himalayan glaciers have a far-reaching impact on the water resources of India ? (Answer in 150 words)
Question Decoded — examiner's intent
- Directive verbs
- How
- Scope keywords
- melting of Himalayan glaciersfar-reaching impactwater resources of India
- Implicit sub-parts
- Short-term vs long-term changes in river discharge patterns (Perenniality vs Seasonality).
- Impact on groundwater recharge and the socio-economic downstream dependencies.
- Changes in water quality, sediment load, and the threat of GLOFs (Glacial Lake Outburst Floods).
- Transboundary water diplomacy and interstate water disputes arising from resource scarcity.
- Common pitfalls
- Focusing too much on global warming/climate change causes rather than the specific impacts on water resources.
- Neglecting the distinction between the Indus, Ganga, and Brahmaputra river systems' unique vulnerabilities.
- Failing to mention the transition from 'water abundance' (floods) to 'water stress' (droughts) over a temporal scale.
- Omitting the impact on the Indo-Gangetic plain's groundwater aquifers, focusing only on surface rivers.
- Dimensions required
- HydrologicalSocio-EconomicGeopoliticalEcological
- Marks allocation hint
Spend 30 words on the mechanism of melting, 90 words on the core impacts categorized by temporal stages (initial flooding vs. eventual drying) and spatial distribution (rivers, aquifers, agriculture), and 30 words on the strategic/policy implications for India's water security.
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