Ladakh, home to 2,200 glaciers and vital rivers, is facing rapid melt. Climate change, booming tourism, and rising military presence are accelerating the crisis. Local people now face water stress, falling groundwater, and uncertain futures.

BulletsIn

• Ladakh has 2,200+ glaciers, covering 7,900 sq km
• 40% glacier area lost since Little Ice Age
• Glacial melt provides 40% of Indus Basin’s water
• Population rising, 15% growth per year
• Bore wells +115 each year, extraction up 7M cubic m annually
• Groundwater use jumped 26 times in decades
• Tourism boom post-COVID → hotels, A/C demand, water stress
• Tourists consume more water than locals
• Army buildup after Galwan clash raises emissions, pressure
• Carbon soot, dust on glaciers speed up melting
• Early melt → water wasted before crop season
• Agriculture, irrigation, drinking water hit across villages