Remote sensing based assessment of climate change impacts and ecosystem health in the Baspa River Basin, Western Himalaya, India: implications for SDG 13

Mountain river basins of the Western Himalaya are increasingly exposed to rapid warming and infrastructure expansion. This study presents an integrated remote sensing–based assessment of ecosystem change in the Baspa River Basin (1990–2023) using multi-sensor datasets and a Composite Ecosystem Health Index (EHI). Indicators include land surface temperature (LST), glacier and snow dynamics, NDVI trends, precipitation variability, hydrological change, and land use transitions. Results show significant warming (0.32–0.41 °C decade−1) with elevation-dependent amplification above 4000 m, 12.6% glacier area loss, declining snow persistence (18–25 days decade−1), intensifying precipitation extremes, alpine vegetation browning, and increasing runoff variability. Built-up areas expanded by 9.3% along valley corridors. The EHI identifies ~27% of the basin as degraded, primarily where climatic stress and infrastructure pressure converge. Sensitivity analysis is consistent with index robustness. The elevation-stratified and uncertainty-aware framework strengthens basin-scale ecosystem diagnostics relevant to climate adaptation and SDG 13 in fragile mountain environments. While results indicate strong associations between climatic variability and ecosystem response, direct causality is not inferred.