Rapid Sedimentation and Organic Matter Accumulation in the Kashmir Himalayan Lakes:A Challenge for Lake Managers

Freshwater constitutes a little less than 3% of the total volume of water present on the earth’s surface. However, freshwater ecosystems have a strong bearing on the economy of a country by providing potable water, fish and fodder for the local people. They are also the most vulnerable habitats as they act as major sinks for weathered sediments, sewage and waste disposal from catchment areas. Human interferences within the lacustrine systems have significantly altered them. The primary anthropogenic activities responsible for the degradation of lacustrine ecosystems include massive population growth, deforestation, land reclamation and other land-use/landcover changes. Two primary concerns regarding the vulnerability of these freshwater ecosystems include extensive sedimentation and accumulation of organic matter. The organic content of the sediments reflects the quantity of living organisms in and around the lake ecosystems, including the level of lake productivity and leaching from humus-rich catchment soils. While the changing climate plays an important role in changing these ecosystems, anthropogenic-induced variations in the nutrient load inputs have had a distinct effect on the freshwater lakes during the past few centuries.