Abstract
Climate is the most vital element of our planet and its liveability is key concern for every habitat. From Silent Spring till present, debate is on whether humankind has impact on nature. Since its establishment in 1988, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has been playing pivotal role in raising public concerns on human-induced climate change through its various assessment reports. These reports follow exhaustive review process, and are widely accepted. In 2007, IPCC’s 4th assessment report- ‘Climate Change 2007 – Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability’ came into question on Himalayan glacier melt. The climate gate in 2009 further strengthened the confusion on credibility of IPCC`s projections. The present study analyses district level temperature and rainfall patterns of Uttarakhand- a Himalayan state, and examines the validity of IPCC’s projection. Uttarakhand is a tourism oriented economy. The state is best known for its religious places and natural sites. Rapid urbanisation in mountainous regions is disturbing regional eco-balance, but increasing vehicular pollution in climate-sensitive areas seems to have greater impact on temperature and precipitation patterns. Result shows a noticeable shift in the variability of temperature and rainfall, and a significant warming especially in mountainous districts. However, human activities do not correlate very well with these changes.
Key words: Climate-sensitive sectors, monsoon, climatic variability, polar caps, vehicular pollution.
