Climate change to hit flow of Indus River in Pakistan

Taken in Ladakh, India in July 2005.

ivesmaria has contributed a photo to this story.

Confluence of Zanskar and Indus: The shot was taken on a road trip from Lamayuru to Leh, Ladakh.

ns_sanish has contributed a photo to this story.

This photo was taken in Sep 2008 when we were on our way from from Leh to Lamayuru on a cycling expedition.

This place is a view point to enjoy the spectacular view of Indus River. The cycling expedition covering more than 250 Km on cycle had its route just beside the Indus River.

sandeeptr has contributed a photo to this story.

This picture is that of the Confluence of the Indus and Zanskar Rivers taken in Ladakh, India at Nimu. The Indus runs through entire Ladakh all along by your side serving as a constant companion and you feel a sense of respect for this stream of water that is the lifeline of the people of Ladakh, especially since Ladakh experiences a rainfall of only 2 to 3 inches throughout the year. A land of endless beauty in the form of dry land with monasteris dotting its landscape and lakes so pure that you can only stand agape in awe, is made more exotic by the Indus, on the banks of which one can spend endless evenings just looking into the vastness of Ladakh and reasonably concluding that it is this virgin nature of the land mostly untouched since decades that has kept the people in this gifted land insulated from the world that we claim to be modern.

With Indus constantly flowing by our side, we din't realise that we had reached Nimu. It was only when the driver pointed out that the grandiosity of the sight that unfolded right before our eyes came to the fore. Right in front of us were the Indus and Zanskar Rivers getting lost into each other as if they had flown all along just for that. From this point on, beyond this Confluence of the two, the stream of water is regarded as the Indus River and the Zanskar does not exist beyond this point.

What amazes you most about this Confluence is the difference in colours of the two rivers. The Zanskar no more remains its muddy self beyond this point and loses its parent nature in the process of becoming a part of the Indus making it a sight worth jotting down in your memory book and maybe writing an article as long as I have just written :)

I sure miss Ladakh...

Signing off
Ravi

Ravi T has contributed a photo to this story.

I visited Pakistan China border in 2005, the roaring Indus water is one of the distinguishing element of nature among tall dry mountains and beautiful weather, land slides were common and due to rise in temperature the glaciers are melting faster raising the Indus, but if the Glaciers kept melting the same way Indus will loose its flow :(

sweadi has contributed a photo to this story.

this is photo of Mighty Indus river, taken near Besham, Pakistan. Indus passes through great mountain ranges, great hamalyians and karakorams and flowing since thousands of centuries.

drshahidiqbal has contributed a photo to this story.

Picture from Kachura Valley towards Skardu

Muhammad Rashid Mukhtar has contributed a photo to this story.

These kids help their 9 years old brother in catching fishes in The Indus River. They dont know swimming.

Layyah

kamran has contributed a photo to this story.

I am thankful to all those who flagged the story or contributed pictures and valuable comments.

The confluence of Indus with Zanskar river at Nimmu, about 30 km outside Leh.

Gaurav Punj has contributed a photo to this story.

The photo is about the twin towns of Rohri And Sukkur iIn Sindh province of Pakistan,and river Indus passing through the limestone george between them. The 2 bridges connect these across the Indus river. Once it was great engineering skill to span this mighty river. But since some decades this might river looks so dry with its diminishing watersupply especially in summer months.

msb1606 has contributed a photo to this story.

Taken this photo from Non-Stop express on my way to Karachi from Quetta, Indus River

jerrold Dsouza has contributed a photo to this story.

this photo shows the confluence of 2 rivers, Indus and Zanskar. Indus is the perennial one while Zanskar is fed by melting glaciers and hence is freezing cold. sadly most of the water i noticed was full of mud and silt carried by the melting glacier water. i shot this picture on the way to Lamayuru and Basgo monasteries in Ladakh on 20th july,2008.

ramaaahD has contributed a photo to this story.

Good stuff, terrible news. Lets hope we stop warming the Earth soon

Talking with locals in the area ( Passu and the Hunza Valley - Pakistan ) they describe how as the years pass snow fall has been declining, so much so that in winter the snow doesn't reach the valley floor - the valley floor around Passu is over 2000m.

A major effect of the lack of snow fall and rising temperatures is the threat of flooding from glaciers. Only a few weeks before I took this photograph a village downstream was hit by flash flood caused by the collapse of the face of a glacier which released a reservoir of water down the valley. The Karakoram mountains is the most glaciated region in the world outside of polar regions.

Luke Woodcock UK has contributed a photo to this story.

People uses local made boats to cross indus river in Baltistan.

Asrar has contributed a photo to this story.