Welcome remarks – Pema Gyamtsho, DG, ICIMOD (5 min) Remarks – UIBN Chair (5 min)

Objectives of the meeting and overview of last two RSC meeting decisions – Arun Bhakta Shrestha, ICIMOD (5 min)

Opening remarks – Country chapter advisors (20 min)

• Mohammad Asif Noorzai, Afghanistan
• Deng Wei, China
• Anand Kumar Pandey, India
• Nisar A. Memon, Pakistan

Token of appreciation to the outgoing chair Remarks (5 min each)

• Outgoing Chair
• New Chair
• David Molden, Advisor, UIBN
• Participants, if any

Experiences and new research findings from the Upper Indus Basin (8 + 2 min each)

• “Assessment of the impact of climate change on snow distribution and river flows in a snow-dominated mountainous watershed in the Western Hindu Kush Himalaya,
• Afghanistan”-Abdul Haseeb Azizi, Afghanistan
• “Heterogeneity of glacier changes in UIB region” – Zhang Yinsheng, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, China
• “Dynamic ground water resources in Upper Indus Basin” – Ghulam Jeelani, University of Kashmir, Srinagar, India
• “Hydrological regime of high-altitude Indus basin under extreme climate scenarios” – Zakir Hussain Dahri, Pakistan Agricultural Research Council, Pakistan
• “What would be the fate of the snow in the Western Himalaya region: A climate change perspective” – Santosh Nepal, ICIMOD
• Research highlights from “Science to support SDGs and sustainable water management in the Indus basin (SustaIndus)” – Arthur Lutz, Utrecht University, the Netherlands

• Mohammad Tayib Bromand, Country Chapter Coordinator, Afghanistan
• He Daming, Country Chapter Coordinator, China
• Farhet Shaheen, Country Chapter Co-Coordinator, India
• Muhammad Riaz, Country Chapter Coordinator, Pakistan

• Ladakh-Baltistan comparative study – Abid Hussain, ICIMOD; A. P. Dimri, Jawaharlal Nehru University, India; and Sherazullah Baig, Hashoo Foundation, Pakistan (12 + 3 min)
• Presentation on outline of an article on the UIBN (SOTEN paper) – Arun Bhakta Shrestha, ICIMOD (8 + 2 min)
• Funding proposal – Ghulam Rasul, ICIMOD (8 min)

Discussion on the proposal (10 min)

• Guidelines for theory of change for country chapters – Farid Ahmad, ICIMOD (8 + 2 min)
• Gender Resource Group evolution and integration in UIBN–Pakistan Chapter and potential upscaling to other riparian countries – Chanda Gurung Goodrich, ICIMOD (8 + 2 min)
• Policy areas identified by the Indus Basin Knowledge Forum and UIBN country chapters harnessing capacity building needs and opportunities – Neera Shrestha Pradhan, ICIMOD (8 + 2 min)

Sharmila Dhungana, ICIMOD

Questions for discussion/group work:

• What are the knowledge gaps in the Indus basin and how can they be filled
• Potential bilateral/regional collaborative interventions
• Capacity gaps and offerings to other country chapters
• Key focus areas for TWGs to consider in their respective country chapter plan

Sanita Dhaubanjar (TWG3), Madhav Dhakal (TWG4),

Sharmila Dhungana (TWG5), and Ajaz Ali (TWG6), ICIMOD

• TWG-1 Data framework
• TWG-2 Climate change and air pollution
• TWG-3 Cryosphere
• TWG-4 Surface and ground water hydrology
• TWG-5 Hazards and risks
• TWG-6 Adaptation

Key outcomes and action points of the meeting – Arun Bhakta Shrestha, ICIMOD (10 min)

Remarks (5 min each)

• Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD
• Fayezurahman Azizi, Afghanistan
• Yanhong Wu, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, China
• Christian Huggel, Advisor, UIBN–India Chapter
• Hina Lotia, UIBN–Pakistan Chapter

Vote of thanks – Ajaz Ali, ICIMOD