19. Climate Scenario in Cold Arid Region and its Future Prediction

Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir State is characterized by excessive aridity and severe moisture deficit throughout the year. On one side of the region are the Karakoram ranges while on the other side lie the mighty Greater Himalayas and Zanskar ranges. Together these impart a rain shadow effect to the region resulting in very low annual precipitation. With scarce water resources, such regions show high sensitivity and vulnerability to the change in climate and need urgent attention. The objective of this study is to understand the climate scenario in the cold arid region of Ladakh region and to characterize its changing climate. The climate over Leh has shown a warming trend with reduced precipitation. The reduced average seasonal precipitation may be associated with some indications of reducing number of days with higher precipitation amounts over the region.