Press Releases
Scientists Rank World’s Most Important, Most Threatened Mountain Water Towers
09 Dec 2019
Scientists from around the world have assessed the planet’s 78 mountain glacier–based water systems and, for the first time, ranked them in order of their importance to adjacent lowland communities, as well as their vulnerability to future environmental and socioeconomic changes. These systems, known as mountain water towers, store and transport water via glaciers, snow packs, lakes and streams, thereby supplying invaluable water resources to 1.9 billion people globally—roughly a quarter of the world’s population.
READ MORECountry Chapter for the Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Hub to be developed
24 Sep 2019
A recent UNESCAP disaster risk-focused report has identified transboundary river basins in South Asia as disaster hotspots. One such area in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the Koshi basin. Covering approximately 75,000 km2 across the borders of China, India, and Nepal, the Koshi basin directly supports over 40 million people and hosts a rich biodiversity.
READ MORERegional drought outlook system for South Asia launched
30 Jul 2019Droughts do not harm immediately. Their impact on lives and productive assets is gradual, which is perhaps why they do not garner a lot of attention. However, while their onset is slow and creeping, the aftermath is long-term and crippling. Droughts are detrimental to agricultural production and impact food security. Their social and economic costs are dire. Droughts affect the lives and livelihoods of vulnerable communities the most.
READ MOREManaging the shifts in shifting cultivation
14 Jun 2019There is a need for a policy framework to manage the transitions in shifting cultivation in Northeast India. This policy need was underlined by Dr VK Saraswat, Member of the NITI Aayog in his inaugural address at the International Symposium on ‘Transitioning Shifting Cultivation to Climate-Resilient Farming Systems in South and Southeast Asia’ that concluded here today.
READ MOREThe heritage gap
10 Jun 2019“The Hindu Kush Himalaya is an extraordinary region the rest of the world doesn’t know enough about,” said Cyril Kormos, Executive Director of Wild Heritage, speaking about the potential of the World Heritage Convention to bring needed visibility, protection, and accountability to sites in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) of outstanding natural and cultural value.
READ MORELandmark study: Two-degree temperature rise could melt half of glaciers in Hindu Kush Himalaya region, destabilizing Asia’s rivers
04 Feb 2019
A comprehensive new study of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, known as the world’s “Third Pole” for its vast store of ice, and home to Mount Everest, K2 and other soaring peaks, finds that even the most ambitious Paris Agreement goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century would lead to a 2.1 spike in temperatures and the melting of one-third of the region’s glaciers, a critical water source to some 250 million mountain dwellers and the 1.65 billion others living in the river valleys below.
READ MOREStrengthening Climate Services in South Asia
02 Feb 2019
South Asia is highly vulnerable to weather and climate impact such as flooding, droughts and cyclones. In the past two decades, over 50 % of South Asians, more than 750 million people have been affected by at least one natural disaster. Vulnerability to both extreme weather events, such as flooding and slow-onset hazards, such as drought, is expected to increase due to both growing populations in vulnerable areas and climate change.
READ MORERising from ruins: the making of a resilient mountain village
18 Dec 2018
When the 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck Nepal on 25 April 2015, Dhungentar (formerly Charghare VDC) in Nuwakot District suffered a major blow. Out of the 96 homes, only one remained standing. It was a miracle that no lives were lost, but there were significant losses in terms of livestock, agriculture, and livelihoods.
READ MORETackling human-wildlife conflict and wildlife crime in a shared transboundary landscape
13 Dec 2018
Recognizing the transboundary nature of these challenges, government, research institutions, and civil society representatives of Bhutan, India, and Nepal, who share this landscape, have come together to outline a strategic regional roadmap for cooperation in consonance with each Nation’s priority for conservation and enhancing livelihoods of its citizens.
READ MOREKoshi DRR knowledge hub to strengthen transboundary collaboration
12 Dec 2018
The Koshi basin shared by China, India and Nepal, is characterized by numerous natural disasters putting at risk its 40 million inhabitants. An inception workshop on disaster risk reduction (DRR) at ICIMOD in Kathmandu looks to increase resilience of these communities through the formation of a DRR focused knowledge hub.
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