Abstract

Climate is the most vital element of our planet and its live ability is key concern for every habitat From Silent Spring till present debate is on about humankind s impact on nature Since its establishment in 1988 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change IPCC has been playing pivotal role in raising public concerns on human-induced climate change through its various assessment reports These reports follow exhaustive review process and are widely accepted In 2007 IPCC s 4th assessment report- Climate Change 2007 Impacts Adaptation and Vulnerability came in question on Himalayan glacier melt The Climate gate in 2009 further strengthened the confusion on credibility of IPCC s projections Present study analyses district level temperature and rainfall patterns of Uttarakhand- a Himalayan state and examines the validity of IPCC s projection Uttarakhand is a tourism oriented economy State is best known for its religious places and natural sites Rapid urbanisation in mountainous regions is disturbing regional eco-balance but increasing vehicular pollution in climatesensitive areas seems to have greater impact on temperature and precipitation patterns Result shows a noticeable shift in the variability of temperature and rainfall and a significant warming especially in mountainous districts However human activities does not correlate very well with these changes