Black Carbon Report by World Bank

Black Carbon Report by World Bank

Part of: GS Prelims and GS-III – Conservation; Climate change

In news

• The report titled “Glaciers of the Himalayas: Climate Change, Black Carbon and Regional Resilience” has reported that the glaciers are melting faster than the global average ice mass. 
• A strong policy on black carbon can sharply cut glacier melt.
• Report released by: World Bank 
• The Himalayas, Karakoram, and Hindu Kush (HKHK) mountain ranges were covered in the report.

Key takeaways from the report

• Black Carbon (BC) is a short-lived pollutant 
  • It is the second-largest contributor to cause Global warming after carbon dioxide (CO2).
  • Unlike other greenhouse gas emissions, BC is quickly washed out and can be eliminated from the atmosphere if emissions stop.

• • Industry (primarily brick kilns) and residential burning of solid fuel together account for 45-66% of regional man-made BC deposition, followed by on-road diesel fuels and open burning in the region.
  • It acts in two ways hastening the pace of glacier melt:
    • By decreasing surface reflectance of sunlight.
    • By raising the air temperature
  • Full implementation of current policies to mitigate BC can achieve a 23% reduction but enacting new policies and regional cooperation among countries can achieve enhanced benefits.
    • National Mission on Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (NMSHE) is one such policy adopted in India. 
    • It is one of the eight missions under the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC).

• Steps that can be taken in the Himalayas

• • Reduce black carbon emissions from – (1) cookstoves; (2) Diesel engines; (3) Open burning. It could significantly reduce radiative forcing
• Steps to be Taken by Regional Governments:
  • Review the policies on water management
  • Careful planning and use of hydropower to reflect changes in water flows and availability.
  • Increasing the efficiency of brick kilns through proven technologies.
  • Greater knowledge sharing in the region.

Important value additions 

• There are almost 55,000 glaciers in the HKHK mountains which store more freshwater than any other region outside the North and South Poles. 
• Glacier melt produces 
  • Flash floods
  • Landslips
  • Soil erosion 

• Glacial lake outburst floods (GLOF)

• Radiative forcing is a measure of the change in energy balance as a result of a change in a forcing agent (e.g., greenhouse gases, aerosol, cloud, and surface albedo) to affect the global energy balance and contribute to climate change.