Project description
Climate-adapted artificial ice reservoirs in the Himalayas
In the Himalayas, water security is at risk mainly due to the shrinking glaciers and extreme weather conditions. In Ladakh, artificial ice reservoirs (AIRs) produce ice in winter but with limited effectiveness. This demonstrates the need for better climate-adaptation solutions. The ERC-funded AdaptAIR project aims to design a framework for the efficient implementation of AIRs in the Himalayas. It will first conduct research to explore the environmental, social, economic, and cultural factors influencing AIR viability in Ladakh. Then it will examine the relationships between climate change, local livelihoods, and glacier recession. In addition to the new framework for the implementation of AIRs, the project will also develop a participatory approach for their construction based on climate-adaptation strategies.
Objective
Shrinking glaciers and more frequent extreme weather events threaten the water security of 55 million people living in the Himalayan Mountain range. Artificial ice reservoirs (AIRs) – annually created stores of ice formed each winter through diverting streams or pumping groundwater into the air – are being rapidly implemented across the northern-most Indian Union Territory of Ladakh. However, the construction of AIRs has been conducted without consideration of the social and environmental context of which they are being placed. This limits the efficacy of AIRs, and mirrors a wider impasse in climate adaptation: critiques provide crucial insights into the limitations and potential harms of new technologies, but lack the required solutions. AdaptAIR combines experts in science and technology studies, critical agrarian studies, anthropology and physical geography to develop a novel framework for implementing AIRs across the Himalayas. This will be achieved through a programme of cross-disciplinary research into the environmental, social, economic and cultural conditions that effect the viability of AIRs in Ladakh. Specifically, we will: (i) understand and contextualise regional climate change in relation to AIRs and livelihoods; (ii) situate AIRs within the cultural and environmental context of glacier recession; (iii) research the hydrological and social impacts of AIRs; (iv) develop and implement a participatory and grounded approach to constructing AIRs. Together, this approach will be used to develop a framework for constructing AIRs across the Himalayas, based on novel theoretical approaches to climate adaptation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.1 - European Research Council (ERC)
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-ERC-SYG - HORIZON ERC Synergy Grants
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) ERC-2025-SyG
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
WC2R 2LS London
United Kingdom
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.