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Indus Basin Inititative
Upper Indus Basin Network (UIBN) established; state of the art knowledge shared in UIB network meetings and through Indus Basin Knowledge Platform.
Upper Indus Basin (UIB) Network and Strategic Committee (SC) meetings were organized regularly (one to two times in a year) from 2013 -2016. In each meetings, state of the art knowledge and progress made by six technical working groups are shared, and way forward discussed. ICIMOD as a secretariat of UIB, has initiated a knowledge based web platform called Indus Basin Knowledge Platform (IBKP), UIB meeting proceedings, presentations of six technical working groups, scientific publications, news and articles related to UIB are regularly shared among UIB partners through Indus Basin Knowledge Platform.
Linkages between other networks active in the Indus Basin established; joint conference on Indus Basin Waters organized.
The Indus Basin Initiative continued to strengthen cooperation among partners in the Upper Indus Basin (UIB). In February 2016, a combined workshop of Indus Forum (IF) and Upper Indus Basin Network was organized in Kathmandu in collaboration with The World Bank and International Water Management Institute (IWMI). More than 80 participants from the basin countries and international experts participated in the conference. Chief Minister of Gligit Baltistan province, Honorable Mr Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman was the Chief Guest of the opening session.
The goal of the conference was to synergize the efforts of individual actors and institutions working in the Indus basin to generate knowledge, implement packages of practices, and influence policy to serve inhabitants of the basin. In the conference, the roles of IF and UIB Network were defined.
The conference and workshops agreed to facilitate coordination and cooperation among partners through the Upper Indus Basin Network, which will focus on reducing knowledge gaps in UIB through scientific and social science research. The Indus Forum will facilitate the dialogue among various stakeholders including the policy makers, based on research findings of UIBN.
National and international experts together with communities identified local issues of UIB; activities on water, energy and hazard management launched. In April 2014, an UIB experts’ field visit to Gilgit Baltistan was organized to learn about the ground reality, issues and options of the Upper Indus Basin. About 45 national, regional and international experts visited the field and interacted with communities of UIB. Two pilot activities were initiated in 2015 based on issues identified and options recommended by the experts during the field visit.
Communities of UIB engaged in glacier and GLOF Hazards monitoring and mitigation. Community preparedness to respond to events of GLOF through capacity building sessions organized, glaciers are regularly monitored by involving the local communities (community hazard watch groups), early warning system designed and small mitigation measures undertaken in Ghulkin, Gulmit and Passu villages of Gilgit Baltistan. Snout mapping of Gulkin glacier was completed. This glacier was considered most vulnerable based on the past monitoring data and the dynamic behavior of the glacier. Two sites for EWS installation has also been identified at the snout to reduce the immediate risk to the adjoining two villages by unprecedented GLOF situation. The lead partner for this pilot project is FOCUS Pakistan.
Package of practices on agricultural water, energy and hazard Management designed and implemented To improve livelihood of people living in the Upper Indus Basin, package of practices on agricultural water, energy and hazard Management has been designed and implemented. Energy efficient-solar pumped irrigation system to increase production of vegetables, crops and fruits. Management of water induced hazards particularly river bank erosion control through soft structural and vegetative measures were identified and demonstrated.
World Wide Fund for Nature Pakistan (WWF-Pakistan) is implementing social mobilization and project monitoring components. WWF Pakistan signed LoAs with project associates including Karakoram International University (KIU), Gilgit, Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources (PCRWR), GB Disaster Management Authority (DMA) together with Focus Humanitarian Assistance Pakistan (FOCUS) and GB Forest, Wildlife and Environment Department (FWED) for project baseline and end-line surveys, technological interventions in agricultural water management, water induced hazard management / Early Warning System, and conservation plantation for watershed management in the pilot sites respectively.
Studies on situational analysis of water, energy and hazard management, and study on baseline on agricultural practices and household and community level has been conducted. DC submersible solar pumps were installed with water storage facilities in Passu and Morkhun villages. Drip irrigation system established to efficiently utilize stored water to irrigate apple orchard. 10000 plants of Poplar, Salix and Russian olive and 5000 plants of Sea buckthorn has been planted along the Hunza river bank to reduce the river bank erosion and watershed conservation.
Capacity of national departments on assessment and management of water resources enhanced through SPHY model trainings. Spatial Processes in Hydrology (SPHY) model was developed together with FutureWater with simple and user friendly pre-processor. User’s manual prepared and training organized in 2014 and 2015 to the participants of Pakistan, India and Nepal.
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Through the SDIP, supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), the Government of Australia, ICIMOD aims to improve regional evidence-based knowledge on critical challenges faced by transboundary river basins in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and offer solutions through a river basin approach.
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