ICIMOD Annual Report 2020 

This report begins with a focus on the COVID-19 impacts and policy responses in the Hindu Kush Himalaya paper we researched and released mid-year and key messages from that paper are presented throughout the report, highlighting our response to this shock within the region. The stories in the report are organized around our seven strategic results, represent a depth and breadth of our work, and are milestones that signify progress towards our long term goals. One significant marker of this progress was the Ministerial Mountain Summit which resulted in a landmark declaration signed by ministers of all eight HKH counties.

Transitioning shifting cultivation to resilient farming systems in South and Southeast Asia

Shifting cultivation continues to be viewed as a rudimentary agricultural practice with little economic viability, a major cause of deforestation and environmental degradation, and a hurdle for development of the uplands. This view persists despite a growing body of scientific literature contradicting the perception. There is, however, growing consensus on the need for serious reappraisal of ongoing approaches facilitating the transition to settled agriculture. Management approaches need to be revised, the pitfalls of transition avoided, and concerns around food security, ecosystem services and security of tenure addressed.

The Afghan Hindu Kush in 1965: A research expedition of the international hydrological decade

As long ago as 1965, an expedition from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne studied the heat and water balance of a glacier in the Hindu Kush. This was possibly the first attempt to scientifically evaluate what was happening to the glaciers in the Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya region. Dr Hal Lister, then Reader in Geography at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, was almost certainly the first person to study in detail the glaciers both in the polar regions and at a high altitude in a major mountain range, the expedition of which is described in this volume. Dr Hal Lister was the chief scientist of the expedition led by Dr Sam James of the Civil Engineering Department, which also included Mr Howard Horsley, then a young undergraduate and the primary author of this volume, which is based on his journals.

Quantifying the extent of shifting cultivation: An urgent need to revisit and revise landuse and land cover classifications

Present landuse classifications fail to capture the diverse stages of shifting cultivation, particularly the dynamic stages in its fallow phase. This results in such landuse being incorrectly delegated to wasteland and forest classes as well as landcover categories that are not obviously linked to shifting cultivation. This is the last in the series of briefs highlighting policy approaches required to address second-generation issues arising from the transition from shifting cultivation to settled agriculture. It highlights the paucity of accurate, updated data and information on the extent of shifting cultivation and discusses the reasons for it.

Shifting cultivation landscapes in transition: Where are the forests? Safeguarding forest cover and ecosystem services while transitioning shifting cultivation to resilient farming systems

In its traditional form, shifting cultivation involves a short cultivation phase followed by a long fallow phase, which allows for regeneration of forests. Transition to settled agricultural systems has been at the expense of regenerating fallows, resulting in shortened fallow cycles, a permanent change in landuse and land cover, and a drastic depletion in forest cover. This policy brief examines the impact of transition from shifting cultivation to settled agriculture on forest resources, including forest cover, and sustenance of ecosystem services. It discusses possible solutions to address the issue drawn from community innovations and project experiences in South and Southeast Asia.

Ensuring seasonal food availability and dietary diversity during and after transition of shifting cultivation systems to settled agriculture

Despite holding the promise of food security, improved nutrition and enhanced incomes, the establishment of terraces and plantations as replacements for shifting cultivation has resulted in large-scale permanent land-use change and the consequent erosion of the diverse resource base that upland communities are dependent on for their food and nutritional needs. This policy brief examines the impacts on seasonal food availability and dietary diversity from replacing shifting cultivation with settled agriculture. Drawing on the examples of Northeast India and Laos PDR, the brief discusses the ramifications for nutritional security and hidden hunger. 

Supporting Myanmar’s land governance reforms: Approaches for legally recognizing customary land tenure as a driver for development for upland communities practising shifting cultivation

As upland farming systems in Myanmar such as shifting cultivation – functioning under customary land tenurial arrangements – remain outside the statutory definition of farmlands, they are legally perceived as wastelands subject to appropriation under various land-related legislations. This policy brief examines the challenges and opportunities in recognizing customary land tenure as a key driver for the inclusive development of upland communities in Myanmar. 

Proceedings of the workshop on resilience marker methodology

The Resilient Mountain Solutions Initiative generates knowledge to assess the resilience of socio-ecological systems by conducting mountain-specific case studies across the Hindu Kush Himalaya. We use a resilience marker methodology that relies on systems thinking to understand the complex interactions and feedbacks of socio-ecological systems. We have partnered with the College of Natural Resources in Bhutan, the BAIF Development Research Foundation in India, and the Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies in Nepal to use the resilience marker methodology for selected case studies. 

Proceedings of the Second Regional Upper Indus Basin Network Annual Meeting

The second Regional Upper Indus Basin Network (UIBN) Annual Meeting (RUAM) convened from 26-27 January 2021 to assess the network’s overall progress, and devise future strategies with focus on regional cooperation. The meeting was attended by the chair of the UIBN network, country chapter coordinators and co-coordinators from the four riparian countries, advisors, leads or co-leads of the Technical Working Groups (TWGs), experts from international organizations, and members from the secretariat (ICIMOD). 

Proceedings of the training on identification of potentially dangerous glacial lakes based on remote sensing and geospatial techniques

To enhance knowledge on glacial hazards such as glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), the Strengthening Water Resources Management in Afghanistan (SWaRMA) Initiative organized a training on “Identification of potentially dangerous glacial lakes based on remote sensing and geospatial techniques” from 15–19 July 2019. Participants participated in a practical exercise on identifying all the fundamental parameters of a glacial lake and dam to identify potentially dangerous glacial lakes in the Kabul basin, Afghanistan, and place them under three different priority levels for GLOF risk reduction.

Proceedings of the dissemination workshop on SERVIR-HKH Earth observation and geospatial application services in Afghanistan

In October 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL), Afghanistan got together with ICIMOD to organize a two-day dissemination workshop, “SERVIR-HKH Earth observation and geospatial application services in Afghanistan”, under the SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya Initiative (SERVIR-HKH). MAIL and SERVIR-HKH have worked together on several applications related to agriculture, water resources, and natural resource management in Afghanistan, and a few finalized systems – the National Land Cover Monitoring System (NLCMS), the Rangeland Monitoring System, and the Watershed Characterization System – were presented during the workshop. 

Proceedings of the Fourth Upper Indus Basin Network Regional Strategic Committee meeting

The fourth Regional Strategic Committee (RSC) meeting of the Upper Indus Basin Network (UIBN) was convened on 28 January 2021 to explore avenues for government ownership and sustainability of the UIBN and to discuss strategic guidelines for the country chapters focusing on the prevailing context and future needs. The meeting was attended by chair of the network; country chapter coordinators and co-coordinators from the four riparian countries (Afghanistan, India, China, and Pakistan); advisors; and members from the Secretariat (ICIMOD). The meeting covered discussions on the UIBN’S relevance, the network’s theory of change as a strategic roadmap, strengthening ongoing collaborations within the country chapters, and a sustainable way forward with government collaboration.

Reviving drying springs in the Nibuwa–Tankhuwa watershed, Dhankuta

Springs are one of the main sources of drinking water in the Nibuwa–Tankhuwa watershed in Dhankuta, Nepal. However, these springs are drying up, so communities are following ICIMOD’s six-step protocol for spring revival to improve water security and access to safe drinking water; reduce climate risks and water-related conflicts among local communities; and enhance ecosystem services. This poster details the areas of intervention and field activities being implemented.

Nepali version of this document is available online at https://lib.icimod.org/record/35221

Regional Drought Monitoring and Outlook System: Seasonal Outlook June-September 2021

The Regional Drought Monitoring and Outlook System (RDMOS) is an operational service which produces reliable drought indicators for the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region with a specific focus on Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. The system incorporates climatic models with suitable Earth observation data and land surface models to produce drought indices – precipitation, temperature, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration – and vegetation conditions at 10-day intervals for near real-time monitoring of droughts. 

Reviving and protecting our springs

Springs are an important source of water across the mid-hills of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. They sustain ecosystems and millions of people in the region – supplying water for consumption, irrigation, and domestic use – and are deeply intertwined with religious rituals and cultural identity. Alarmingly, springs are drying up across the HKH region because of a multitude of factors, and this has led to acute water stress among mountain communities.