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 | Climate change

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

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.

1 min Read

70% Complete
Inauguration of the newly established FABKA secretariat in Kathmandu. ICIMOD, 2019.

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

17 Aug 2018 Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative
Waste management, sustainable tourism, and the quest to become India’s cleanest village

With support from the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), ...

6 Oct 2016 News
Pakistani Policy Makers Visit Upper Indus Basin Pilot Projects

A field visit to enhance understanding of ongoing International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) activities in Pakistan through exposure ...

10 Apr 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
NEC Secretary visits ICIMOD

Secretary of the National Environment Commission (NEC) of Bhutan, Dasho Ugyen Tshewang, visited the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) headquarters on ...

26 May 2015 News
Indian farmers meet local entrepreneurs in Dadeldhura

ICIMOD and the Central Himalayan Environmental Association (CHEA) organized a five-day visit for the farmers/ beekeepers and the staff of partner organization ...

30 Nov 2015 News
Training for Partners in Bhutan

A three-day training for Bhutanese partners on vulnerability assessment was conducted ...

17 May 2016 News
ICIMOD’s Contribution to Implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive to Accelerate Socioeconomic Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is Recognised

The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA) considers ICIMOD’s strategic framework for sustainable development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of ...

4 Apr 2018 News
ICIMOD Regional Board Member Ding Zhongli Elected Vice Chairperson of China National People’s Congress Standing Committee

Born in 1957, Ding is a Chinese geologist and an academician at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). He ...

2 Sep 2016 News
Koshi Basin Research Highlighted in India’s Largest Selling Daily

Embankment in Koshi Basin has further increased flood damage. This new finding was based on a research by ICIMOD Koshi ...