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

ICIMOD makes available more datasets for download

Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir Landscape (HKPL) Birds Species of Wakhan Corridor Birds Species of Wakhan and Big Pamir Vegetation ...

9 Feb 2016 Wetlands
Water Flow and Koshi Ecosystems

A two-day consultative workshop was held 4 February in Kathmandu to understand the con-nection between water flow and ecology in ...

17 Nov 2016 News
ICIMOD Party to Beijing Declaration on the Belt and Road Initiative

The First International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative was held in Beijing, China ...

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 ...

30 Sep 2015 News
Community leaders from Kavre District learn about innovative livelihood techniques at ICIMOD’s Godavari

  Increasingly, many areas of Kavre suffer problems with water;  frequently there is not enough. As a result, many community members ...

17 Sep 2015 News
Environmental media training for NEPA officials and media representatives

ICIMOD and the National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan organised a week-long Communication and Media Training on Environment from 24 to ...

29 Jun 2017 Climate change
REDD+ Experts Meet at the Ministry of Climate Change in Pakistan

Broadly, the meeting paved the way forward for creating synergies and future lines of action in the context of REDD+ ...

14 Aug 2017 Climate change
Living in the Shadow of Climate Change

These days, readers frequently come across headlines spelling of the approaching doom and gloom of climate change. In South Asia, ...