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ICIMOD’s work and the COVID-19 crisis

David James Molden

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I feel fortunate that ICIMOD colleagues have the opportunity to work at home, and to safely work during this COVID-19 crisis. We also appreciate the many actions of our regional member countries in containing the spread of the disease.  At the same time, this crisis has opened our eyes to many vulnerabilities of mountain people and reinforced to us the importance of our work in amplifying the voices of mountain people and in working towards a prosperous future for the HKH.

Many migrants are now stuck trying to reach to their families and safe places. Remittance flows, important for poverty reduction,  are curtailed for many families. Recent migrants to Himalayan towns are crowded together or others are walking back to their homes. Their vulnerabilities need to come into clearer focus. In crowded Himalayan towns, there is limited opportunity for social distancing and adequate water availability – whether for hand washing or for other basic needs – is not keeping pace with the rising demands.

In the midst of this current crisis, the specificities of mountains make communities living in mountain areas more vulnerable. For instance, the two sides of agriculture value chains – a mainstay economic option for rural populations – are impacted by government lockdowns and road closures, threatening food security with limited supplies reaching remote mountain areas. This additionally threatens livelihoods as getting produce to markets becomes impossible. Women face additional vulnerabilities, taking in more stress balancing work and family demands, and for some facing the prospect of increases in gender-based violence, closure of protection centres and organisations who provide help.

Climatic changes, including extreme weather events, are likely to aggravate mountain-specific issues, making water availability more scarce and unpredictable and water-related hazards such as floods and droughts are also likely to increase. But these concerns actually reach far beyond this crisis. They have to do with marginalization of mountain communities, who live along the front lines of climate change and require special attention from the global community.

Through our work with partners throughout the region and across the globe, we aim to build resilience of mountain people and systems. This resilience is now being put to test. While this COVID-19 shock has developed quickly and the global community was not prepared, we must be prepared for the other kinds of shocks that put mountain communities to test. We know the shock of climate change is intensifying, yet we as a global community are slow to prepare. There are urgent actions we need to take together to reduce vulnerabilities, to increase the resilience of communities to respond to shocks and to make possible a prosperous HKH.

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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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