This site uses cookies, as explained in our terms of use. If you consent, please close this message and continue to use this site.

Back to news
2 Jan 2015 | News

“Good science a must to address climate change in the HKH region”

2 mins Read

70% Complete

 

Speaking at the Sixth People’s SAARC Conference organized by the Nepal Chapter of Nature-Human Centric People’s Movement in Kathmandu, Nepal on 17-18 November 2014, Dr David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, noted that the mountain systems of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, which spans six SAARC member countries and two non-SAARC countries, are particularly vulnerable to climate change. He issued a call for enhanced transboundary cooperation to address climate change in the HKH region.

“Green house gas emissions, and black carbon have, in their own ways, contributed to climate change, resulting in the rapid melting of glaciers and formation of glacial lakes in the HKH region, some of which pose risks to downstream populations,” Dr Molden said, showing slides to illustrate how dramatically the Rongbuk glacier in the Tibet Autonomous Region of China has retreated over the last 86 years.
“Climate change is not only affecting glacier dynamics, but also monsoon precipitation patterns with implications for water, food, and energy security across the region.”
He said that there is general consensus among scientists that climate change will likely lead to an increase in the frequency and severity of extreme events such as floods, droughts, and heat spells in the future.
 “Generating good science on how climate change and other drivers are impacting the mountain communities and ecosystems is a must to address climate change in the HKH region,” he said.
Describing the HKH region as a ‘global asset’, he added that it is not only the source of ten major river systems of Asia – lifeline to over 1.3 billion people, a fifth of the world’s population – but also home to incredibly rich human, cultural, and biological diversity.
Dr Molden called on all those present at the conference to help draw the international community’s attention to the HKH region in order to address the many challenges associated with climate change mitigation and adaptation.
Responding to comments from the audience, Dr Molden said that the West must indeed do more to help countries like Nepal that bear the brunt of climate change impacts despite their negligible contribution to climate change. On the question of water disputes between India and Bangladesh, he said that concerned authorities of the two countries should initiate dialogue to resolve them.
Besides climate change, the conference, also covered other topics such as corruption, unemployment, and rule of law. The two-day conference was inaugurated by Honorable Finance Minister of Nepal, Dr Ram Sharan Mahat.

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 contents

Continue exploring this topic

22 Sep 2015 News
SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) and private sector engagement in climate change

The SAARC region is one of the most densely populated and ecologically vulnerable regions in the world housing more than 40 percent ...

14 Dec 2015 News
REDD+ updates

  ICIMOD’s REDD+ Initiative organized a Regional Learning Workshop on ‘Demystifying REDD+ Safeguards for South Asia’ from 2–6 November 2015 in Kolkata, India. ...

1 Jan 2016 News
Linking Gender and Social Inclusion to Value Chain Development

Two gender and social inclusion experts from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) participated in a value chain ...

6 Nov 2015 HUC
Academic Collaboration in Hindu Kush Himalaya Reinforced HKH Universities Sign a New Charter for Collaboration and Development

20 Mar 2015 News
Consolidating the Himalaya-Third Pole Circle

Initiating and sustaining dialogue and collaboration on the challenges of climate change was at the heart of the ...

5 Jun 2018 Indus Basin Initiative
The time is right to apply research findings in the Upper Indus Basin Network and expand into all four riparian countries

The Upper Indus Basin Network (UIB-N), which began in 2010 as a diverse group of researchers in Pakistan conducting important ...

17 Apr 2019 Cryosphere
HKH Science News: Conventional models for glacier melt calculation may not work in High Mountain Asia environments

The conventional approach of using temperature index models for modelling glacier ablation requires few input variables and relies on simple ...

25 Jul 2019 Cryosphere
Sediment management for sustainable hydropower development in Nepal

Hydropower generation is a viable base upon which economies could flourish in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, but excessive ...