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A spotlight on our mountain biodiversity

Pema Gyamtsho

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We’re keenly looking forward to the 15th meeting of the Conference of Parties (COP15) to the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to be hosted virtually by our member country China in October and in person in Kunming during April-May 2022. As you are probably already aware, our HKH region is an extremely important and special place for biological diversity and home to four of 17 global biological diversity hotspots in the Asia-Pacific. The deliberations and outcomes of CBD COP15 are therefore deeply significanct to us as a region.

COP15 is of particular importance because it will set directions and targets for the post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF), which will have near-term implications for conservation efforts over the next decade and longer-term implications for decades to come. It is also of great relevance to us all since our region’s biodiversity hotspots are also centres of linguistic and cultural diversity. We have over 1000 living languages in the HKH, and they are a rich store of indigenous knowledge. It is therefore important for us to understand and push for biodiversity conservation to be viewed from a more holistic perspective with due importance to traditional ecological knowledge and everyday practice. At present, both the biological and cultural diversity of our region are threatened and we have to urgently remind ourselves and the global conservation community of this impending loss.

As part of our preparations for the COP15 meeting(s), we held a meeting on “Towards the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework: Retrospective reflection and setting priority actions for the mountains”, which brought together CBD focal persons and high-level representatives from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan on 9 August 2021. The event served as a platform for delegates to share their respective countries’ successes in achieving targets and to take stock of what has been going well and where there is need for greater attention. This meeting also helped highlight where we stand as a region in terms of biodiversity targets and what areas we will need to prioritize and advocate for collectively.

Based on the discussions at this meeting, as well as our own analysis, it was clear that significant progress has been made in our region, especially on Aichi Target 11, which focuses on protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures (OECMs). HKH-member countries have also made notable efforts in raising awareness among different stakeholders, especially local authorities, general public, youth, and school children. These are positive efforts, but there is still a lot more which needs to be done moving forward.

Of particular concern is our collective progress, or lack thereof, on Aichi targets 8, 9, and 12, which deal with protection of threatened ecosystems, management of invasive alien species, and protection of threatened species, respectively. These, together with all 21 targets proposed in the post-2020 GBF, will be extremely important for our countries and communities to address in the years ahead. More so, it will be important for us all to think about these targets not just at the national level, but also the shared challenges that these present to the HKH region as a whole.

As of now, the draft of the post-2020 GBF has not recognized mountains as a key and vulnerable ecosystem, similar to coastal ecosystems for example. Ensuring that mountains, their varied ecosystems, and biodiversity receive the necessary recognition and mention in this global agreement is an area that we will continue to work on collectively with our member countries. Our August meeting was one of the steps towards that effort, and it is looking promising.

Prior to this, since earlier this year, we have also been contributing to developing indicators for the post-2020 framework, took part in other related processes including the post-2020 gender action plan, and the involvement and participation of indigenous and local communities. Together with CBD Secretariat and UNDP India, we also published a Compendium on good practices in protected areas and other area-based conservation measures with 20 case studies from the South Asian sub-region. All of these engagements have been significantly important to put forth our regional perspectives as well as showcase our work at the global level.

In the coming months, we’ll continue to build on this momentum, which we’re confident will shine a spotlight on our mountains’ biodiversity and its importance for our planet.

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在兴都库什-喜马拉雅,全民早期预警尚需更及时的实现

由气候驱动的风暴、洪水、热浪和干旱的经济代价首次被计算出来,即在过去20年中,人类付出的代价已达到1600万美元/小时。其中,三分之二的费用是由于生命损失,剩下的则是因为财产和其他资产损失。 而这不仅是兴都库什-喜马拉雅的统计数据。今年,在我们整个地区,气候灾害给许多家庭来了难以承受的损失:数百人丧生,更多的房屋、农作物和财产在毁灭性的洪水和山体滑坡中被毁。最近,上周锡金蒂斯塔河(Teesta river)爆发冰川湖溃决洪水,这清楚地提醒了人类,大自然的愤怒是无止境的。 今年的国际减灾日与我们区域内的家庭、科学家和政策制定者共同评估了季风和全球升温给人类和经济带来的沉重代价,恰逢其时。 展望未来,气候驱动的灾难将激增。联合国减少灾害风险办公室(UNDRR)预计,到2030年,我们每年将看到560起灾难,使3760万人陷入极端贫困。 科学表明,我们处在风险热点地区。不仅与极端降雨和冰冻圈变化相关,还有热浪、干旱和空气污染。因此,在计算这次季风事件的成本时,我们所有为该地区及其居民服务的人都有责任以更高的速度和更强的雄心,将科学、政策和行动联系起来,实现让所有人都能得到早期预警的目标。 我们急需捐助者深入了解该地区居民所面临的风险,无论是从危险量级和程度来看,还是从受影响的人口规模来看。我们迫切需要适应基金、绿色气候基金和儿童投资融资基金更快地分配到该地区,以及加强补偿机制的运作。 在ICIMOD,我们将在全球范围内倡导双方,还将在整个地区努力建立一种围绕防灾和数据共享文化;对政策制定者进行差异和关键行动领域的教育;为社区配备创新及可行的技术,并扩大以社区为基础的洪水预警系统。 我们所在地区的情况表明,全球范围内面临的灾害存在着巨大的不平等。我们的研究发现,当危机来临时,妇女和弱势群体受到的影响尤为严重。 为了消除这种不平等,我们郑重承诺通过整合工具、知识和资金,确保该地区居民能够有效抵御未来的冲击,并将妇女和弱势群体纳入我们战略的核心。对于兴都库什-喜马拉雅的国家而言,全民早期预警尚需更及时的实现。   白马·嘉措 总干事

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