Abstract:
This study was aimed at exploring the temperature fluctuations in the Upper
Indus Basin (UIB) and to find any correlation between the temperature fluctuations with the flow
of the Indus water. Correlation between summer temperature and runoff of Indus at Besham
Qilla gauging station was performed in Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS), while
the map of decadal difference of mean annual temperature in UIB for the period of 1980-2010
was prepared in Arc Geographic Information Systems (GIS) 9.0. The results proved a negative
correlation between the two variables of summer temperature and runoff, with a Pearson
Correlation value of -.004, in the middle elevation basins of ephemeral snow of UIB. The
decadal temperature variance map proved that extreme northern UIB lies in region experiencing
decadal variance between -0.30°C to 0.16°C. The map also indicated a 0.4°C rising trend of
temperature in areas around Kakul and Astore. This rising trend could lead to increase flow and
sedimentation rates of Indus. Such fluctuations in temperature trends of UIB were critical since
this region served as the freshwater reserve of our country.
