MOUNTAIN ENVIRONMENTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE IN THE HINDU KUSH-HIMALAYAS

This HKH Call to Action is based on the HKH Assessment, which was drafted in response to requests from governments in the region, meeting a demand for a comprehensive assessment of the region’s mountains, environments, and livelihoods and proposes actions towards a shared vision for the future of the HKH region, in which its societies and its people are prosperous, healthy, peaceful, and resilient in a healthy environment. To realize this vision, this HKH Call to Action elaborates six urgent actions, including: 1) promote and strengthen regional cooperation at all levels to sustain mountain environment and livelihoods; 2) recognize and prioritize the uniqueness of the HKH mountain people; 3) take concerted climate actions; 4) take accelerated actions to achieve the SDGs, consistent with the nine mountain priorities; 5) take decisive actions to enhance ecosystem resilience; and 6) promote regional data and information sharing.

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Climate Change Trends and Ecosystem Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

Himalayan Weather and Climate and their Impact on the Environment ◽

10.1007/978-3-030-29684-1_25 ◽

2019 ◽

pp. 525-552

Author(s):

Nakul Chettri ◽

Arun Bhakta Shrestha ◽

Eklabya Sharma

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Resilience ◽

Hindu Kush

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Managing Ecosystem Services for Enhancing Climate Change Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalayas

Impact of Global Changes on Mountains ◽

10.1201/b17963-16 ◽

2014 ◽

pp. 218-236

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Ecosystem Services ◽

Climate Change Adaptation ◽

Hindu Kush

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Hindu Kush Himalayan Ecosystem as a Common Concern of Humankind: Imperative for Better Regional Jurisprudence

Kathmandu School of Law Review ◽

10.46985/jms.v5i2.976 ◽

2017 ◽

pp. 42-52

Author(s):

Debasis Poddar

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

Global Climate Change ◽

Global Climate ◽

Regional Climate ◽

Critical Role ◽

Regional Climate Change ◽

Mountain Glaciers ◽

Common Concern ◽

Hindu Kush ◽

The World

Hindu Kush Himalayan region (hereafter the HKH) - with 3500 odd kilometres stretched in eight countries- is default resource generation hub for about one-fifth population of the world. The ecosystem-growing delicate these days- seems to play a critical role for the survival of flora and fauna along with the maintenance of all its life-sustaining mountain glaciers. Ten major rivers to carry forward hitherto sustainable development of these peoples fall into question now. Further, in the wake of global climate change today, the delicate HKH ecosystem becomes increasingly fragile to unfold manifold consequences and thereby take its toll on the population. And the same might turn apocalyptic in its magnanimity of irreversibledamage. Like time-bomb, thus, climate ticks to get blown off. As it is getting already too delayed for timely resort to safeguards, if still not taken care of in time, lawmakers ought to find the aftermath too late to lament for. Besides being conscious for climate discipline across the world, collective efforts on the part of all regional states together are imperative to minimize the damage. Therefore, each one has put hands together to be saved from the doomsday that appears to stand ahead to accelerate a catastrophicend, in the given speed of global climate change. As the largest Himalayan state and its central positioning at the top of the HKH, Nepal has had potential to play a criticalrole to engage regional climate change regime and thereby spearhead climate diplomacy worldwide to play regional capital of the HKH ecosystem. As regional superpower, India has had potential to usurp leadership avatar to this end. With reasoningof his own, the author pleads for better jurisprudence to attain regional environmental integrity inter se- rather than regional environmental integration alone- to defendthe vulnerable HKH ecosystem since the same constitutes common concern of humankind and much more so for themselves. Hence, to quote from Shakespeare, “To be or not to be, that is the question” is reasonable here. While states are engaged in the spree to cause mutually agreed destruction, global climate change- with deadly aftermath- poses the last and final unifier for them to turn United Nations in rhetoric sense o f the term.

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