Most of us don’t think about glaciers. They don’t make headlines. And yet, just a few hundred kilometres from Delhi, the Himalayan glaciers are steadily melting away.
At the Heidelberg Lecture in Delhi, this reality was brought into focus. Organised by Heidelberg University in collaboration with the German Embassy and the Indo-German Science and Technology Centre, the event focused on one thing: the fast-changing Himalayan glaciers.
In his opening remarks, Ambassador Ackermann made a simple yet significant point – we tend to ignore what doesn’t affect us directly. But these glaciers matter. They are a major water source for nearly two billion people. And climate change has accelerated the melting of these glaciers. Even rising geopolitical tensions among countries that depend on shared river systems in the Himalayan region could be among the consequences.
The lecture by Prof. Dr. Marcus Nüsser, a leading expert on human–environment interactions in glacier regions, explained how glacier melt can lead to increased risks of
glacier lake outburst flooding, water scarcity, and food insecurity.
To be better prepared he suggested to combine traditional knowledge of the local communities with scientific research and technical solutions. Precautionary planning
approaches are key.
This isn’t just a story about melting ice far away – it’s about real, interconnected risks for people, regions, and the future. And the message is clear: the window to act is still open, but it’s closing fast.
Source : German Embassy New Delhi