Abstract ID: 3.12537 | Accepted as Poster | Talk/Oral | TBA | TBA

West Himalayan cold deserts Lahaul-Spiti, Kinnaur and Ladakh are highly vulnerable to the changes that result from rise in temperatures globally. The high-altitude arid areas have limited precipitation and extreme temperature making them more sensitive to any variations in dryness. Therefore, understanding how aridity has changed over time in these regions will help assess the effects of climate change and formulate suitable conservation measures. A drought index, Aridity Index (AI), is computed as a ratio of annual precipitation (P) over potential evapotranspiration (PET). This study analyses trends in aridity seen in Indian cold deserts since 1901 till 2022 using AI. Data for this research was obtained from CRU TS v4.08 which is a dataset containing detailed high resolution monthly climatic information. The study area was classified into different climatic zones based on their AI values then looking at each season: pre-monsoon season, monsoon season, post-monsoon season, winter season and agricultural seasons. Analysis indicates an expressively decreasing the intensity of aridity within cold deserts, thereby revealing how areas located in the north eastern part of these regions are moving towards hyper-arid condition. Seasonal variations were recorded, during which winter season showed the most substantial decrease in aridity as a result of western disturbances’ influence. On the other hand, analysing trends indicates that there is an overall decreasing dryness pattern as evidenced by a positive slope on the AI trend line signifying decreased dryness during this particular period of observation. In the rain shadow zone of the western Himalayas, the cold desert regions are finely adapted to low precipitation due to their unique topography. Increasing precipitation in these areas could lead to several negative consequences, such as soil erosion and the destabilization of fragile landscapes, which can result in landslides.Furthermore, an increase in precipitation can disrupt the delicate balance of local ecosystems, leading to changes in species composition and potential loss of biodiversity. Local communities may face challenges related to infrastructure damage, altered agricultural practices, and increased vulnerability to natural disasters. To avoid these consequences and guarantee conservation