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Project overview

The Glaciers-to-Ocean project is a two-year (2025–2027) initiative aimed at strengthening climate resilience, promoting sustainable water management, and fostering regional cooperation across the Ganga River Basin – from the Himalayan glaciers to the mangrove ecosystems of the Bay of Bengal. The project is supported by the Sasakawa Peace Foundation (SPF), Japan, with USD 1 million funding.
The project agreement was formally signed on May 9, 2025, at SPF Headquarters in Tokyo by the President of SPF, Atsushi Sunami, and Director General of ICIMOD, Pema Gyamtsho, in the presence of the President of OPRI, Mitsutaku Makino, Advisor to OPRI, Kenzo Hiroki, and other OPRI representatives.

This collaborative initiative will be jointly implemented by the Ocean Policy Research Institute (OPRI) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), combining scientific expertise and regional partnerships to address critical climate risks through integrated assessments and policy-relevant research.

Main objectives

  • Enhance climate resilience among communities, and protect ecosystems and biodiversity across the Ganga River Basin
  • Strengthen regional cooperation through science-based diplomacy to address shared transboundary challenges emerging from climate change

1. Upstream cryosphere risk assessment in the Ganga River Basin

Focus: Glacier retreat, glacial lakes hazards, snowmelt, and landslides zoning and hazards in the Koshi sub-basin, Nepal.

Methods: Remote sensing, deep learning, modelling, and multicriteria decision analysis.

Deliverables:

  • Datasets and report on snow assessment of the Ganga River basin
  • Datasets and a comprehensive report on glacier area change and retreat
  • Report and datasets on glacial lake inventory, analysis, and glacial lake hazard assessment
  • Comprehensive synthesis report and datasets on landslide zoning and hazards

2. Midstream – climate vulnerability and adaptation assessment

Focus: Vulnerability of densely populated regions (Bihar, India) to floods, droughts, and agricultural stress.

Methods: GESI-responsive assessments, Local Climate Adaptation (LCAT) and Community-based Risk Screening Tool – Adaptation and Livelihoods. (CRiSTAL) tools, Focus Group Discussions (FGDs), Key Informants Interviews (KIIs), Community based Flood Early Warning systems (CBFEWS), High-Impact Weather Assessment Toolkit (HIWAT).

Deliverables:

  • Report on locally validated adaptation action and recommendations
  • Report on enhanced local-level early warning system framework

3. Downstream – mangrove and marine biodiversity (Led by OPRI)

Focus: Health of mangrove ecosystems and marine biodiversity in the Bay of Bengal.

Goal: Strengthen coastal resilience to climate change.

4. Basin-scale climate and water assessments

Focus: Climate projections, water availability, land cover change, erosion, and sedimentation.

Methods: Remote sensing, land cover change & soil erosion models, and Spatial Processes in Hydrology (SPHY) model using Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)’s sixth Assessment report (AR6) scenarios.

Deliverables:

  • Land cover data and change modelling report
  • Report and datasets on soil erosion and sedimentation assessment
  • Report on Glaciers-to-Ocean approaches for a climate-resilient future in the Ganga River Basin
  • Report on high-level dialogue on science diplomacy for water cooperation

Action Plan Highlights

1. Upstream cryosphere risk assessment in the Ganga River Basin
2. Midstream climate vulnerability and adaptation assessment
3. Downstream mangrove and marine biodiversity
4. Basin-scale climate and water assessments

Strategic impact

Integrated approach: Links upstream cryosphere changes with midstream vulnerabilities and downstream ecosystem health.

Policy influence: Provides evidence for regional climate adaptation and water governance.

Collaboration: Engages institutions across Bangladesh, China, India, Japan, and Nepal, and international partners

Funded by: