HKH DRR Hub 2025

Background

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), often referred to as the “Third Pole”, is one of the world’s most disaster-prone regions, facing recurrent floods, landslides, glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), storms, and avalanches. From 1980–2024, HKH Regional Member Countries (RMCs) saw a high concentration of disasters, with floods accounting for 38.7% and storms 26.8% of all recorded events. Fragile ecosystems, rapid socio-economic change, and rising population density are increasing vulnerability, yet Multi-Hazard Early Warning Systems (MHEWS) remain limited.

Globally, only 10% of countries meet Global Basic Observing Network (GBON) standards, and just 38% have multi-hazard monitoring and forecasting systems. Countries with limited MHEWS experience six times higher disaster mortality and nearly four times more affected people than those with comprehensive systems.

Since 2024, the HKH has faced a cascade of climate-intensified events—from destructive floods and landslides in Nepal and Bhutan to glacial floods in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Urban centres such as the Kathmandu Valley have experienced record rainfall, while long-term risks such as declining snow persistence and accelerated glacial retreat are heightening water insecurity. These converging hazards underscore the urgent need for risk-informed investment and integrated resilience approaches.

While disasters grow more frequent and costly, investments in Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) remain insufficient and in some contexts are declining. ICIMOD’s regional experience confirms that effective DRR requires three reinforcing pillars: comprehensive risk understanding through Multi-Hazard Risk Assessment (MHRA); anticipatory, people-centred action through MHEWS; and sustainable disaster financing. Together, these pillars enable risk-informed planning, inclusive investment, and climate-resilient development.

MHRA provides a foundation for understanding cascading and compounding risks by integrating physical, social, and climate dimensions. MHEWS transforms this knowledge into timely, actionable information for communities. Scaled implementation relies on predictable and long-term disaster financing. When combined, these approaches form a holistic framework for strengthening resilience in the HKH.

Against this backdrop, ICIMOD and partners will convene the Hindu Kush Himalaya Disaster Risk Reduction Hub (HKH DRR Hub) 2025 to advance risk-informed investment and integrated solutions for mountain resilience, anchored in MHRA, MHEWS, and disaster financing. Aligned with the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR), the Hub serves as a regional platform for collaboration, innovation, and evidence-based action to reduce disaster risks across the HKH.

This initiative is supported by the Building Adaptation and Resilience in the HKH (BAR HKH) project supported by Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the “Building green, climate-resilient and inclusive development in the Lower Koshi River Basin in Nepal” (HI-GRID) project supported by the Government of Australia.

About the Hub

Building on this experience, the HKH DRR Hub was launched in 2024 as a regional platform to advance collective action and strengthen the science–policy–practice interface. The hub evolved from the Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Hub (KDKH), which was initiated in December 2018 to foster transboundary collaboration and knowledge exchange in the Koshi basin. The HKH DRR Hub serves as a convening space for governments, researchers, practitioners, and the private sector to collaborate on science and evidence-based DRR solutions aligned with the SFDRR.

The HKH DRR Hub is hosted by ICIMOD as part of its Strategic Group 1: Climate and Environmental Risks, Action Area A: Cryosphere and Water through the Disaster Risk Reduction intervention. It serves as a regional knowledge-sharing and cooperation platform to:

• Promote science and evidence-based collaboration, understanding, and decision-making across the HKH region through scientific knowledge and experience sharing related to water-related disasters
• Strengthen the science-policy–practice interface by developing and showcasing solution-oriented research and practices; synthesise and provide recommendations for policy advocacy that takes into consideration transboundary actions
• Facilitate dialogue and trust building among different stakeholders such as policy/decision makers, implementers, media outlets, and private-sector organisations.

The Sendai Framework Mid-Term Review underscores insufficient investment in DRR, with continued reliance on reactive financing. Countries with limited fiscal space face difficulties prioritising resilience, while multilateral development banks (MDBs) and private-sector engagement remain underutilised. Innovative approaches such as blended finance, risk-sharing models, and public–private partnerships (PPPs) are needed to mobilise additional resources.

Objectives of the 2025 HKH DRR Hub:

• Risk understanding and early warning: Advance integrated intersectional risk understanding and early warning through strengthened MHRA, use of disaggregated data, and enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge sharing along with a status update on the HKH DRR Roadmap on Early Warning for All (EW4All).
• Inclusive solutions and financing: Promote inclusive and risk-informed investments by scaling GESI-responsive and linking them with innovative financing mechanisms.
• Regional collaboration and governance: Operationalise the HKH DRR Hub Thematic Working Groups (TWGs) to drive regional collaboration on the four SFDRR priorities: risk understanding, governance; investment; and preparedness, ensuring community leadership and inclusivity in implementation. System changes brought in and GESI-responsive approaches applied in TWG operations and outputs, including equitable representation, participatory planning, and mechanisms for accountability and learning that amplify the voices of underrepresented and vulnerable groups.

Expected Outcomes

• Enhanced regional understanding for integrated MHRA and MHEWS through improved use of disaggregated data, local and Indigenous knowledge, GESI-responsive analytics and cross-border collaboration through the updated regional roadmap on EW4All.
• Commitment to scale GESI- responsive, risk-informed and inclusive financing mechanisms, including localised resilience funds.
• Establishment and launch of four SFDRR-aligned TWGs to sustain regional cooperation, guide policy integration with GESI lens, and deliver actionable outputs by internalising assessments and tools for system change for mountain resilience.