Guwahati, March 13 -- bySimrin Sirur

The Western Indian Himalayan Region is more prone to risks from climate change compared to the Eastern Himalayan ranges, a new climate risk index, designed by researchers from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), shows.

The index is the first to use the latest framework from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to assess climate risk in the Himalayas, by combining both physical and socio-economic indicators, the researchers have said.

The Himalayas considered the "third pole" for the amount of ice and water they hold, are particularly vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Some parts of the Himalayas, like the Hindu Kush Himalayan Range, are warming at afaster ra...