IYGP 2025 side event Panel on Tackling glacial melt and water challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: A science diplomacy approach for regional cooperation

Organisers: ICIMOD, APWF

Zoom Registration Link

About the event

In December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation, accompanied by the proclamation on 21 March each year as the World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025. This initiative seeks to raise global awareness on the critical role of glaciers, snow, and ice in the climate system and economic, social, and environmental impacts of the impending changes in the cryosphere. To launch the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025, a high-level event will take place on 21 January 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, and online. This event aims to raise awareness, stimulate action, and attract funding for further implementation.

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is home to some of the world’s most critical glacier systems. These systems sustain major rivers like the Ganges, the Brahmaputra, and the Indus, supporting the livelihoods of over 1.5 billion people. However, climate change, accelerating glacial melt, and the increasing frequency of extreme water events pose severe risks to water security, ecosystems, and regional stability. Practical transboundary cooperation is essential to address these shared challenges and build resilience for the shared river systems.

The side event aligns with the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP 2025) initiative, which leverages global momentum to spotlight innovative, cooperative approaches to secure water resources in the HKH region. It aims to address the challenges of accelerated glacial melt and climate change through science-based, collaborative approaches.

Objectives

• Highlight critical interdependence between cryosphere, water security, and regional stability
• Promote regional cooperation on transboundary water management in response to shrinking glaciers by leveraging science diplomacy
• Share actionable strategies, including science-based assessments, Nature-based Solutions (NbS), financing models, and policy recommendations

Draft Programme (60 minutes)

Facilitated by: Yumiko Asayama, APWF

 Opening Remarks (3minutes)

Shahbaz Khan, APWF Vice Governing Council Chair c/o Director of the UNESCO Office in Beijing and UNESCO Representative to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea

 Remarks (3 minutes)

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD

 Keynote Presentation (10 Minutes)

Arun B. Shrestha, Strategic Group Lead, ICIMOD

 Panel Discussion (Including Q&A) (45 mins)

Panelists:

• Bushra Nishat, Environmental Specialist, Bangladesh – World Bank
• Anamika Barua, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
• AP Dimri, Director, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism
• Muhammad Arif Goheer, Executive Director, Global Climate-Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC), Pakistan
• Anil Mishra, Chief of Section, Hydrological Systems, Climate Change and Adaptation, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO
• Sanjay Srivastava, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP (TBC)

 Moderator:

Faisal M Qamer, Intervention Manager, Resilient River Basins, ICIMOD

 Closing Remarks:

Shahbaz Khan

Expected Outcomes

• Identifying key knowledge gaps, and actionable strategies to mitigate glacial melt impacts on water security and ecosystems
• Strengthened frameworks for trust-building and transboundary cooperation to ensure equitable water resource management in the HKH region

IYGP 2025 Task Force(s):

TF-2: International Conference on Glaciers’ Preservation, Regional Workshops and Capacity Building

To join please register on the link below:

Zoom Registration Link