Water and Climate Resilience in the HKH: Advancing SDG 2030 Agenda through Science and Cooperation

Organizers: ICIMOD, UN Water Convention (UNECE), UNESCAP, IUCN

Rationale

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is experiencing unprecedented climate risks: glaciers are retreating, river flows are altering, and climate-induced extremes are intensifying. These changes jeopardize countries’ progress on SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 11 (Sustainable cities and communities), and SDG 13 (Climate action). Despite strong scientific evidence, the region’s priorities remain underrepresented in global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) review processes.

This workshop is designed to serve as a bridge between basin-focused initiatives in the HKH, such as the Upper Indus Basin Network (UIBN), the Yarlung Zangbo–Brahmaputra–Jamuna Basin Network (YBJBN), and the Ganges Initiative – and global and regional UN platforms namely: Asia-Pacific Forum on Sustainable Development (APFSD), Voluntary National Reviews (VNRs), High-level Political Forum (HLPF) on Sustainable Development, UN Water Conference 2026. It will convene government agencies, basin organisations, researchers, civil society, and youth leaders to translate science into SDG-aligned insights and cooperative actions.

Its aims at achieving three interlinked priorities including situating basin science within the framework of SDG 6, SDG 11 and SDG 13 by mapping evidence and identifying gaps, thereby ensuring that knowledge generated in the HKH is directly tied to global targets. It also emphasises regional cooperation mechanisms by engaging United Nations Economic Commission for Europe (UNECE) Water Convention, ICIMOD, United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), and their national partners to link HKH initiatives to multilateral processes in ways that foster collaboration while reducing sensitivities. Finally, it charts action pathways by producing regionally owned proposals, inclusive practices, and joint commitments that can feed into the 2026 VNRs, HLPF, and the UN Water Conference, ensuring the region’s voice and evidence are well reflected in these global reviews.

Objectives

• Gather regional inputs and priorities as part of the preparatory process for the UN Water Conference on SDG 6 scheduled for December 2026 and other Agenda 2030 review mechanisms, ensuring that the voices and needs of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region are well reflected.
• Translate basin science from the Indus, Brahmaputra, and key sub-basins into SDG 6 and SDG 13–compile relevant insights, identify critical knowledge gaps, and co-develop cooperative actions such as regional data-sharing mechanisms, early warning protocols, resilient infrastructure guidelines, and harmonised monitoring strategies.
• Strengthen links between HKH basin initiatives and global expert platforms such as UNECE Water and Climate Task Force to enhance technical collaboration and exchange of lessons on basin cooperation.
• Promote inclusive approaches (youth, women, citizen science) and facilitate regional dialogues and simulations that build trust and demonstrate practical pathways for joint multi-hazard responses.

Expected outputs

• Consolidated regional perspective on how basin science in the HKH connects to SDG 6, 11 and 13, highlighting shared challenges, evidence gaps, and opportunities for cooperation, expressed through recommendations and cooperative pathways for regional and global processes (APFSD, VNRs, HLPF, UN Water Conference).
• Synthesized input package combining evidence snapshots, SDG alignment messages, and suggested cooperative actions, adaptable for different audiences and serving as a bridge between basin networks, regional dialogues, and UN review mechanisms.
• Shared follow-up roadmap linking ICIMOD, UN Water Convention, UNESCAP, IUCN and national partners with trusted multilateral platforms, with milestones and submission routes to ensure HKH priorities are reflected in global water and climate discussions.

The workshop is being hosted by ICIMOD in collaboration with the UN Water Convention (UNECE), UNESCAP, and IUCN.