Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Annual Dialogue 2023

Agenda

About the event

ICIMOD’s Action Area on Managing Cryosphere and Water Risks (AAA) under the Strategic Group on Reducing Climate and Environment Risks (SG1) is organising a meeting on Koshi Disaster Risk Reduction Knowledge Hub (KDKH). The KDKH Annual Dialogue 2023, will bring together the core team members who are actively engaged in the KDKH over the past years. Building on the accomplishments of KDKH, this meeting will focus on the need to transition towards a more expansive HKH-DRR Knowledge Hub to facilitate a more comprehensive approach to DRR, specifically addressing multi-hazard risks and recognising the transboundary scale of disasters.

Objectives

• Review the insights and experiences gained from the KDKH dialogues and assess their relevance beyond the Koshi basin to other river basins in the HKH
• Present the rationale for expanding the scope to the HKH-DRR Hub to broaden both the geographic focus and thematic focus by emphasising multi-hazard risks and acknowledgement of the transboundary scale of disasters

Background

ICIMOD has developed a new roadmap in the form of Strategy 2030 and MTAP V (2023–2026) to enhance cooperation and collaboration for a greener, more inclusive, and climate-resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya. With this new direction, ICIMOD is promoting innovative and inclusive approaches to DRR in policies, plans, and investments, including the innovation and scaling up of existing hubs and networks.

The collaborative, member-driven the KDKH, launched in December 2018, aims to promote disaster risk reduction in the basin through regional collaboration among researchers, policymakers, decision-makers, and practitioners. The KDKH Annual Dialogue is a flagship event and platform for like-minded institutions, stakeholders, researchers, and policymakers to create and capitalize on opportunities to enhance resilience in the Koshi Basin. In 2022, the dialogue focused on multi-hazard risks, revealing insights and experiences applicable beyond the Koshi basin to other HKH river basins. This inspired broadening the scope into a HKH DRR Hub. This year, the dialogue will be an exclusive, preparatory gathering of core members.