Looking at Ladakh - Part 3

This will be my final post on Ladakh - I’ve really enjoyed having an outlet to describe some of my feelings and thoughts on the region, and I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about it to! It is definitely one of the most interesting places I’ve ever visited, as you can probably tell by my excitement when writing. My next post will be on whether there is a gendered nature to climate change impacts - looking particularly at natural hazards (as a feminist I can’t resist talking about gender!). Before I upload my next post, I’ve attached a poll on the right-hand side to see what my readers think of the topic, maybe I can change your mind! In the meantime, happy reading :)

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The average annual income in Jammu and Kashmir per capita is around £870 (Gov of India, 2014), with the main sources of income being derived from agriculture, and the highly seasonal tourism industry. Slightly worryingly for Ladakh, is that tourism is a highly volatile industry, vulnerable to external shocks. Thus, most recently, the regions natural disasters have begun to discourage tourists from visiting. As there is an issue of a rise in the frequency of natural hazards due to environmental change, mitigation is crucial for the region.

As of yet, the main disaster management techniques used have been hazard responsive. After the cloud burst event in 2010, the Indian Army immediately launched a series of Search and Rescue operations, with Army medics on hand to treat the injured (Gupta et al., 2012). However, although search and rescue operations are needed once a disaster strikes, it is critical to enact disaster prevention schemes in conjunction with responsive strategies. That being said, not all prevention schemes will be suitable in Ladakh due to its low income status and poor road and communication networks (Gov of Jammu and Kashmir, 2006). These include some hard engineering techniques such as Japanese ‘earthquake proof’ building designs. In this post, I will explore a couple of potential management strategies that may be suitable for the region.

The Natural Disaster Management Act (2005) envisaged a proactive approach to disaster management in the region, through preparedness, prevention and planning, and to integrate disaster prevention in development - although this has been limited in success (as shown by management techniques in 2010), and has been criticised strongly for its distinctly 'top-down' approach.

Mass Movement Mitigation

In Ladakh, soil is bare and rocky with bare gravel slopes, with mass movement occurring frequently in Jammu and Kashmir as a whole - the hazard being most likely triggered by a flash flood (Gov of Jammu and Kashmir, 2006). Development activities, such as deforestation and road construction, have decreased the stability of slopes (Hodgkins, 2013). One of the key strategies to increase slope stability would be afforestation to anchor slopes and raise their shear strength. The majority of vegetation in the region are scrub-like vegetation such as Ephedraceae, and grasslands. It would be vital to plant these so as not to introduce invasive species. Afforestation is also a relatively low cost technique.

Ephedra gerardiana found in the Himalaya. Source: flowersofindia.net

Drainage networks on slopes are also a suitable and viable option, particularly with slopes close to human populations. The presence of water within a rocky slope are most often the major factor leading to instability. Hoek and Bray (1981) describe that drainage networks should take three considerations into account:

• Reduce water pressure in the vicinity of potential breakage surfaces through selective shallow and sub-shallow drainage
• Place drainage in order to reduce water pressure in the immediate vicinity of the hillside
• Prevent water entering the hillside through open or discontinuity traction cracks.

Flood Mitigation

Similarly to mass movement mitigation, one of the most feasible approaches to manage the effects of flooding would be afforestation, due to interception of precipitation and reduction of surface runoff. Around streambeds and wetlands in Ladakh, trees are able to grow, such as Willow, Juniper and Poplar (Kar and Chandel, 2009). in In my last post, I also mentioned that there was a potential for glacial lakes and rivers to burst their banks from the new influxes of glacial meltwater, in what is termed as an ‘outburst flood’. Perhaps the most important management strategy to take is to reduce the volume of water in the glacial lakes, thus reducing the magnitude of the possible peak discharge at the time of breach. This can be achieved through a variety of means: controlled breaching of the moraine dams; construction of an outlet control structure; pumping or siphoning the water from the lake; and tunnelling through the moraine barrier or under an ice dam (Mool et al., 2011).

Land-Use Management

Source: Geology for Global Development

If we go back to the diagram used in my first blog post (above), to manage natural disasters effectively, it is key to limit exposure and vulnerability. The management techniques mentioned so far are effective at limiting vulnerability, but to limit exposure land-use planning should be used to ensure houses are not being built on hazard-risk zones. GIS and remote sensing can provide valuable information for hazard mapping, and to show which areas are suitable for future development (Gupta et al., 2012). GIS mapping can be relatively low-cost due to mapping programs such as Google Maps being readily available for free online. Ladakh is also fortunate to be close to the prestigious Jammu and Kashmir University, which is well known for its highly regarded Geology department.