Search

The ongoing trend of warming climate has made Glacial Lake Outburst Floods (GLOFs) a major cryospheric hazard worldwide, especially in the Himalayas. GLOFs in the Himalayan region are mostly caused by moraine-dammed proglacial lakes and ice-dammed lakes. These sporadic disasters have resulted in significant loss of life and property. This study offers a comprehensive analysis of the GLOF hazard potential of a potentially dangerous proglacial lake (PDGL) in the Ladakh region. This research explores the GLOF threat from the lake using multi-criteria analysis and advanced 2D hydrodynamic modeling approaches. The mass balance response of the mother glacier, its flow dynamics, and glacier-lake interactions were examined for the past 22 years. The findings show that over this period, the PDGL has had a notable expansion of 78.7%, accompanied by a significant recession of 13.2% in its feeding glacier. The glacier has witnessed an average thickness loss of ⁓7 m at the rate of 0.32 m a−1 during this period. The average, lowest, and maximum depth of the glacier were found to be 30.95, 14.30, and 50.57 m, respectively and the average velocity of the glacier was estimated as 3.38 m a−1. Because of the lake’s rapid expansion and steep surrounding slopes, it was classified as a high-hazard lake. The risk to the downstream community was assessed through 2D hydrodynamic modeling using the HEC-RAS tool. The maximum discharge under the worst-case scenario for the piping and overtopping failures was estimated as 3890.99 m3s−1 and 5111.39 m3s−1, respectively. The area potentially under the threat of inundation was calculated to be 4.74 and 5.38 km2 for the moderate and worst-case scenarios respectively. The expected maximum flood velocities range from 18.26 to 23.78 meters, respectively for the moderate and worst-case scenarios. At several locations in the downstream area, routed hydrographs representing the GLOF propagation were generated. The findings show that the flood wave in the worst-case scenario would arrive at the first settlement in 50 min, with a peak velocity of 12.36 m s−1. The potentially inundated area includes critical infrastructure such as bridges, residential houses, and roads. To mitigate the potential risk associated with this lake, a more detailed and on-site study is highly recommended.

Climate change poses significant challenges to the Himalayas, a region characterised by its fragile ecosystems and vulnerable communities dependent on environmental resources. Accurate climate data are crucial for understanding regional climatic variations and assessing climate change impacts, particularly in areas with limited observational networks. This study represents a pioneering effort in evaluating climatic fluctuations in the Jhelum basin, located in the North Western Himalayas, by utilising a diverse range of gridded meteorological datasets (APHRODITE, CHIRPS, CRU, and IMDAA) alongside observed climate data from the Indian Meteorological Department. The primary goal is to identify the most effective gridded climate data product for regions with limited data and to explore the potential of combining gridded data sets with observed data to understand climatic variability. Findings indicate a consistent upward trend in temperature across all datasets, with varying rates of increase. CRU records a rise of 1 °C in Tmax and 1.6 °C in Tmin, while APHRODITE shows a Tmean increase of approximately 1 °C. IMDAA reports increases in Tmax and Tmin. Observed mean annual Tmax and Tmin show net increases of 1 °C and 0.6 °C, respectively. Regarding precipitation, all datasets except IMDAA exhibit an increasing trend, contrary to observed data, which decreases from 1266 mm to 1068 mm over 40 years. CHIRPS, CRU, and APHRODITE display increasing trends, while IMDAA aligns closely with observed data but tends to overestimate precipitation by about 30%. Our research identifies IMDAA as the most suitable gridded climate data for the Jhelum basin in the North-western Himalayas. Despite some discrepancies in precipitation trends, IMDAA closely aligns with observed data, providing valuable insights for scholars and policymakers navigating climate data uncertainties in complex environments. Our findings contribute to informed decision-making and effective climate change mitigation strategies in the region.

Abstract In the intricate tapestry of environmental discourse, the field of political ecology emerges as a powerful lens through which we scrutinise the interplay of power, nature and society. This paper stages a dialogue with Paul Robbins to examine environmental justice, the decolonisation of political ecology, colonialism, sovereignty, climate change and capitalism. The dialogue challenges the conventional narratives of sovereignty and underscores the imperative of genuine decolonisation—beyond metaphorical interpretations—calling for the restitution of land and authority to Indigenous Peoples and other historically marginalised communities. The dialogue highlights the importance of moving away from capitalist systems that exacerbate environmental degradation. The dialogue calls for decolonising political ecology by including diverse perspectives, methodologies and ontologies and underlines the importance of control over productive resources. It emphasises that addressing the impacts of colonialism requires recognising and honouring the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and suggests that political ecology can contribute to decolonisation by focusing on sovereignty and supporting legal and institutional frameworks that empower marginalised communities. The paper discusses the way forward and the future trajectory of political ecology by suggesting that future research in political ecology should focus on diverse economies, embrace emerging technologies and rework academic institutions to value knowledge co‐production.

Climate change adaptation is a critical response to the challenges posed by climate change and is important for building resilience. Progress in adaptation efforts has been made globally, nationally, and locally through international agreements, national plans, and community-based initiatives. However, significant gaps exist in knowledge, capacity, and finance. The Adaptation Gap Report 2023, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), examines the status of climate change adaptation efforts globally. The report highlights the widening adaptation finance gap and the deepening climate crisis. We analyse the key themes of the report and incorporate an analysis of the wider literature and insights from COP28 to substantiate key points and identify gaps where more work is needed to develop an understanding of climate change adaptation. This paper focuses on the underfinanced and underprepared state of global climate change adaptation efforts, the widening adaptation finance gap, slow progress in adaptation, gender equality and social inclusion issues, and challenges in addressing loss and damage. We provide a way forward for climate change adaptation and offer recommendations for future actions.

Acute emergencies have been neglected in efforts to understand and respond to the transformational climatic changes underway in the Arctic. Across the circumpolar north, social-technological changes, extreme weather, and changing ice conditions threaten lives and infrastructure, increasing the risk of mass casualty incidents (MCIs), particularly as they impact transportation systems including global shipping, aviation, and community use of semi-permanent trails on the ice, land, and water. The Arctic is an inherently dangerous environment to operate in, and due to living in permanent settlements and the uptake of mechanised modes of transportation and navigation technologies, people’s exposure to risks has changed. In responding to potential MCIs, emergency response systems face challenges due to remoteness, weather, and changing environmental conditions. We examine emergency response capacity in the Arctic, focusing on search and rescue and using examples from Canada and Greenland, identifying opportunities for enhancing emergency response as part of climate adaptation efforts.

Background: Class attendance is very important to improve academic performance in medical education. National Medical Commission has made it mandatory to have 75% attendance to appear in the university examination. Classroom teaching is necessary to develop competence in cognitive, affective, and psychomotor domains. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the causes of absenteeism in medical education. Methodology: This descriptive, cross-sectional study was conducted from phase 1 to phase III MBBS students of Government Medical College Srinagar, J and K, India. The response was collected through a structured, pretested, and prevalidated questionnaire. The attitude of medical students towards class absenteeism was obtained using the Likert scale. The response was analyzed using SPSS 22 software. Results: The results showed that major reasons for student absenteeism were poor teaching skills of teachers (mean 3.85), students studying through Self directed learning (SDL) (mean 3.75), unfavorable learning environment (mean 3.43), lack of sleep (mean 3.28), distraction due to concentration problems (mean 3.26) not interested with that subject (mean 3.09), ill-health (mean 2.57), traffic jams (mean 2.53), social media (mean 2.45), climatic conditions (mean 2.37), availability of online resources (mean 2.84), too much self-confidence (mean 2.61), lectures, not enough informative (mean 2.49), family issues (mean 2.01). Conclusion: The causes of student absenteeism are varied. Teachers have to be friendly and cooperative so that students can overcome their inhibitions and weaknesses. Constructive feedback and mentoring programs should be part of the curriculum.

Avian paramyxovirus serotype-1 (AMPV1) infects a wide range of avian species leading to broader range of clinical symptoms. The ease of transmission has allowed the virus to spread worldwide with varying degree of virulence depending upon virus strain and host range. Rapid detection is an important step to prevent an outbreak of the disease. The present study was carried out to detect APMV-1 from chicken reared in Kashmir Valley. Out of 12 suspected disease outbreaks, all were positive for AMPV-1. APMV-1 was detected using Matrix Protein gene (M gene) by RT-PCR. Detection by M gene is used for primary screening of the APMV-1 in chicken with both virulent and avirulent forms.

The introduction of the space object conjunction method in electromagnetic compatibility modeling and simulation is quite a novel concept. It is useful for the stochastic analysis of an electromagnetic (EM) environment which is based on the probability of conjunction assessment. The space conjunction methodology is anticipated as the frontline defense for the protection of active satellites in space. EM congestion occurs in an environment with the increase in the number of operational EM devices. In a theoretical sense, this congestion is analogous to the space conjunction. Therefore, the space conjunction model can be applied in the EM scenarios. In this paper, we have investigated the application of the defined conjunction model by using the analytical expression of the probability of electromagnetic conjunction, which is based on the orbital parameters of the system under test. Additionally, we have elaborated the influence of these orbital parameters on the probability of conjunction. The simulations have been performed by considering different EM scenarios and the results are validated by using Monte Carlo simulations. The results show that errors in the analytical and Monte Carlo simulations are within a 1% range, which makes the analytical model effective. Computationally, the proposed analytical model is cost effective as compared to the numerical method, i.e., Monte Carlo. Moreover, from the results, it has been validated that the probability of conjunction increases with the increase in transmitted power and decreases with the compatible threshold limit of the receiving system, thus, making this method useful for analyzing the electromagnetic environment and as a frontline safety tool for electromagnetic systems.

Recent advance in medical education is in correlation with the advances in information technology and thus computer-based learning is being increasingly employed. The objective of the present study was to design and evaluate an e-learning module in anatomy and assess the perceptions of students and faculty about this e-learning module. The participating students were randomized into three groups by block stratified randomization and Google groups were created for each of the three groups. The e-learning module was implemented in three sessions by rotating the three groups. Validated questionnaires were sent to faculty and participating students via Google forms to obtain feedback. The results of ANOVA showed that there was a significant difference among the groups in terms of marks obtained with conventional (F = 2.403, P = 0.103), online (F = 6.050, P = 0.005), and blended (F = 5.801, P = 0.006). Post hoc comparisons using the Tukey HSD test, about the gain of knowledge, indicated that the results were insignificant when comparing the conventional group with the online group, but were significant when comparing the blended group with the conventional and online group. The qualitative data regarding the perception of students toward e-learning were analyzed using thematic analysis. The introduction of an interactive e-learning module in anatomy was effective and well received by the students and faculty. The study showed that blended learning has a positive impact on the students' learning by improving cognitive gain and receptive perception for e-learning.

Purpose: This study delves into the complex realm of consumer behavior by exploring the impact of distinct shopping motives, encompassing status, value and gratification, on store satisfaction within the domain of organic food retail. Moreover, it seeks to decipher the influence of perceptual disparities between male and female patrons on the intricate nexus between shopping experience and consumer loyalty within organic food stores. Design/methodology/approach: A comprehensive dataset comprising responses from 400 participants was gathered and subjected to confirmatory analysis and structural equation modeling. These analytical tools were employed to dissect the data, validate the underlying research framework and unveil critical insights. Findings: The empirical analysis, facilitated by structural equation modeling, substantiates that organic food stores prioritize the organic attribute, primarily centered on healthiness, often to the detriment of broader conceptual and social aspects. This validates the interplay between shopping experience dimensions, customer contentment, loyalty and the intent to revisit. Gender, as a moderator, exerts a discernible influence on these relationships, highlighting distinct shopping behaviors among male and female consumers when gauging the influence of shopping experience dimensions within organic food retail establishments. Practical implications: The implications of this research resonate deeply within the organic food retail landscape. The insights garnered provide valuable guidance to organic food retailers aiming to enhance their store ambiance and allure, thereby fostering sustained customer satisfaction. This, in turn, augments the propensity for customer loyalty and repeat patronage, a particularly pressing concern in today's fiercely competitive retail milieu. Furthermore, the study carries significant ramifications for organic food producers and governmental entities, outlining a framework for augmenting the value proposition of organic foods in alignment with customer experiential paradigms. Originality/value: In a milieu characterized by the emergence of novel product categories and industry entrants, the study fills a critical void by investigating customer satisfaction within the broader retail food sector, with specific focus on organic food stores. Moreover, the research embarks on a pioneering exploration of the prospective trajectory of organic food stores in the Indian context, employing a marketing lens and grounded in the theory of needs satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change adaptation is a critical response to the challenges posed by climate change and is important for building resilience. Progress in adaptation efforts has been made globally, nationally, and locally through international agreements, national plans, and community-based initiatives. However, significant gaps exist in knowledge, capacity, and finance. The Adaptation Gap Report 2023, published by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), examines the status of climate change adaptation efforts globally. The report highlights the widening adaptation finance gap and the deepening climate crisis. We analyse the key themes of the report and incorporate an analysis of the wider literature and insights from COP28 to substantiate key points and identify gaps where more work is needed to develop an understanding of climate change adaptation. This paper focuses on the underfinanced and underprepared state of global climate change adaptation efforts, the widening adaptation finance gap, slow progress in adaptation, gender equality and social inclusion issues, and challenges in addressing loss and damage. We provide a way forward for climate change adaptation and offer recommendations for future actions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]