Back to news
27 Jul 2018 | DFAT Brahmaputra

Synthesizing Knowledge on the Vanishing Springs of the Himalaya

Eighteen water resource management officials and experts from Bhutan, India, and Nepal participated in a writing workshop hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Kathmandu, Nepal, to document knowledge and experiences related to revival of springs in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).

The writeshop, held from 13 to 15 March 2018, brought together relevant officials and experts from the three countries to present case studies and draft articles on the various aspects of spring revival for peer feedback. The results will be published as a scientific publication so that this knowledge is documented and becomes available to a larger audience.

0 mins Read

70% Complete
Participants of the writeshop in Kathmandu with Aditi Mukherji, Theme leader, Water and Air, ICIMOD.

Springs are the main source of water for millions of people in the mid-hills of the HKH and provide multiple ecosystem services. However, many springs are drying up or becoming seasonal, and most have seen decrease in discharge. The quality of spring water is also deteriorating throughout the HKH. As a result, communities across the region are facing unprecedented water stress. Researchers are trying to study the extent of the problem.

Since 2015, ICIMOD has been working on spring revival in the Nepal Himalaya in collaboration with the Advanced Center for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM). Experts from the two organizations have developed a spring revival protocol, which comprises a set of implementable methodologies. The application of the protocol has seen success – springs have been successfully rejuvenated. However, scarce scientific documentation of the approaches and results continues to be a challenge.

As a follow-up to this workshop, ACWADAM hosted a second writeshop in Pune, India in June. The writeshop was supported by the Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP), the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) and the Department of Science and Technology (DST), India.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

related content

Continue exploring this topic

30 Jul 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
Emerging platform for atmospheric scientists

Convective clouds change the distribution of air pollutants, washing out some with rainfall while transporting others high into the upper ...

16 Aug 2017 News
Private Sector Engagement for Climate Action in Pakistan

A joint event titled “Working Together for Sustainable Mountain Development: Private Sector Engagement for Climate Action in Pakistan” was organized ...

6 Jul 2015 News
Convergence in the understanding of water challenges crucial, say experts

The special session on ‘Water and Mountains’ convened by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and theHimalayan Adaptation, ...

21 Jun 2017 Atmosphere Initiative
ICIMOD Supports National Action Plan for SLCPs Mitigation in Nepal

As the issue if SLCPs is a recent one, Nepal does not have policies that specifically address it. The Atmosphere ...

8 Aug 2018 Cryosphere
Three students graduate from KU’s glaciology programme

In December 2018, three new students – Aman Thapa, Anushilan Acharya, and Reeju Shrestha – graduated from this MS programme ...

31 Jan 2016 News
HKH Permafrost Distribution Maps Assessment

[caption id="attachment_8734" align="alignnone" width="211"] The cover image of the ‘Manual for Mapping Rock ...

29 Sep 2015 News
Member countries develop methodology for land degradation Assessment

  Land degradation is common across the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, but surrounding countries lack proper documentation and modelling to properly ...

28 Dec 2016 News
ICIMOD Scientist Receives Young Scientist Award from NAST

Santosh Nepal, a water and climate specialist at ICIMOD, has been awarded the prestigious ‘Young Science and Technology Award’ by ...