Preliminary Exam CSAT December 10

1. Hindu Kush is Asia's water tower, providing a vital regional lifeline to over two billion people through 10 main rivers that originate from the glaciers. Increasing glacial melts could destabilize these rivers by changing their stream flow. The Indus could witness more stream flow due to high glacial melt till 2050, after which the flow would start reducing due to decreasing glacial melt. The Ganga and the Brahmaputra, which are mainly monsoon-fed rivers, will also see variations, as pre-monsoon flows may decline. This will hamper agriculture that accounts for the largest share of water usage.

On the basis of the above passage, the following assumptions have been made:

  1. Glacial melt, at an optimum rate, is an ecologically desirable phenomenon.
  2. Melting of glaciers in the Hindu Kush region will lead to variation in the stream flow of many rivers.
  3. Rapid melting of glaciers would temporarily increase food production.

Which of the above assumptions is/ are valid?