Department of Geography 

HighNoon

Adaptation to Changing Water Resources Availability in Northern India with respect to Himalayan Glacier Retreat and Changing Monsoon Pattern

The principal aim of the EU FP7 HighNoon project is to assess the impact of Himalayan glaciers retreat and possible changes of the Indian summer monsoon on the spatial and temporal distribution of water resources in Northern India and to provide recommendations for appropriate and efficient response strategies that strengthen the cause for adaptation to hydrological extreme events. 

GlobGlacier 

Glacier Monitoring Service using Data from Space

The ESA GlobGlacier project attempts to establish a service for glacier monitoring from space that is based on user requirements and builds upon, complements and strengthens the existing network for global glacier monitoring (GTN-G). The project will help to establish a global picture of glaciers and ice caps, and their role as Essential Climate Variables (ECVs) as defined in the GCOS implementation plan for the UNFCCC (GIP, 2004). With this respect, the most requested issue is to complete the world glacier inventory (WGI) from the 1970s by producing glacier outlines in regions where actually is nothing and to complement the point information already stored in the WGI by 2D information to allow change assessment. Moreover, GlobGlacier integrates satellite data from various sensors to create value added products for a wide range of user communities. A close cooperation with major user groups (e.g. WGMS) and related projects (e.g. GLIMS) ensures a maximum benefit of the generated products from a global perspective.

The major research objectives are: