Back to success stories

Science-based regional collaboration through the Upper Indus network 

70% Complete

Members are presently working on basin level issues focusing on climate change and resilience

At home in the Far Eastern Himalaya

A recent study found that the Indus River basin is the most vulnerable among 78 water towers in the world. Considering that it functions as a lifeline for 268 million people in the basin countries, it is crucial to enhance our understanding about climate change impacts in the basin and work towards building climate resilience.

The Upper Indus Basin Network, now established in all four member countries, acts as a regional hub to facilitate science-based transboundary collaboration. Members are presently working on basin level issues focusing on climate change and resilience, with the possibility of cooperation and joint studies involving country chapters in the four basin countries: Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan.

The UIBN brings together ministries, national departments, NGOs, INGOs and academic institutions. They have endorsed the UIBN’s Theory of Change and expressed commitment to explore funding and co-research opportunities, share knowledge and host early career researchers in their institutions. The six working groups of the UIBN are already working on addressing various gaps in climate research, community interventions, and policies.

The country chapters are encouraging and facilitating coordination amongst various departments within their respective governments. In the long run, each country chapter is envisioned to work as an autonomous advisory body and think tank for relevant government departments on issues of cryosphere, water management, air pollution, hazard management, and socioeconomic impacts of climate change.

The impacts of climate change in the Indus are transboundary in nature and the key to addressing them is through greater regional collaboration.

Science-based regional collaboration through the Upper Indus network

Chapter 6

Facilitating regional cooperation

At home in the Far Eastern Himalaya

Homestay tourism under way around Namdapha National Park and Tiger Reserve

HKH High-Level Task Force formed and activities begun

Our work forging increased regional cooperation has been guided by the Ministerial Declaration ...

2 Dec 2019 HI-RISK
Real-Time Flood Data and Science Products Support Flood Monitoring in Nepal

Floods are a major natural disaster aggravating poverty in the Indus and Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) basins, which is home to over ...

2 Dec 2019 Water
The Changing Times

A study finds that while environmental conditions in the Koshi basin are changing, constraints are keeping communities from fully adopting ...

A sustainable model of community-based flood early warning

Local governments in Nepal are coordinating and investing in disaster preparedness

Mapping land cover

High-resolution annual land cover data for the HKH region

Disasters don’t wait, and neither should preparedness

Community-Based Flood Early Warning Systems (CBFEWS) function best when stakeholders – community caretakers, nodal authorities, trainers, ...

From strength to strength

Supported by the International Development Research Centre, the Government of Sweden and our core donors, our ...