Spatiotemporal monitoring of snow cover area of Kashmir Valley from 2002-2022 and its impact on Hydroelectricity generation.

The monitoring of snow cover area (SCA) and glaciers in the Himalayan region is critical due to their significant role in river runoff, water resource management, and local livelihoods. This study estimates the spatial-temporal trend of SCA in Kashmir Valley using MODIS Terra (MOD10A2) snow data from 2002 to 2022. The inter-annual variability was analyzed over 5-year intervals. The average annual SCA was recorded at 41.13%, with the highest in 2012 (44.59%) and lowest in 2007 (36.76%). An overall positive trend was observed until 2012, followed by fluctuations and a declining trend post-2012. Seasonal analysis revealed average SCA for winter, spring, summer, and autumn at 78.04%, 45.96%, 5.64%, and 24.65%, respectively. While winter, autumn, and summer showed insignificant increases, spring and permanent snow cover areas exhibited insignificant declines. The decreasing trend has implications for agriculture, water supply, and hydroelectric generation, with a 68.4% reduction in hydroelectric output in the Jhelum basin in 2021-2022 compared to 2019-2020