NOW’s David Brancaccio is trekking the Himalayas right now to see, first-hand, the increasingly visible impacts of global warming. David and his team are mapping out their trip to the source of the Ganges River: “The plan is then get out the hiking boots and trek to the source of the Ganges. Then, we will break out the ropes and crampons to see the condition of the glacier first hand.”

See more highlights from David’s Journal from India Part 1:

Before my first day in India is out, I have been able to sip tea in a comfortable living room with Dr. Syed Iqbal Hasnain. Dr. Hasnain is a scientist and glacier expert at the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi who says there are several things causing that glacier atop the Ganges to disappear, but a big one is global warming. If the glacier goes, the Ganges could become a seasonal river, one that flows only after the rains.

U.N. Global Warming Maps:
You can see detailed imagery of toll global warming has had along David’s route through India. The new atlas published by the UN charts rapidly changing environmental landscapes, comparing photographs from recent years and 30-40 years ago.
See New Delhi Map comparison.

NPR’s Journey to the Source of the Ganges:
Read about a similar journey taken by correspondents at NPR in 2004.