For billions of people, mountain meltwater is essential for drinking water and sanitation, food and energy security, and the integrity of the environment. But today, as the world warms, glaciers are melting faster than ever, making the water cycle more unpredictable and extreme. And because of glacial retreat, floods, droughts, …
Mountains are among the regions most affected by climate change. The implications of climate change will reach far beyond mountain areas, as the contributions in the present publication prepared for the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen in 2009 show. Themes discussed are water, glaciers and permafrost, hazards, biodiversity, food …
The topic of water availability and the possible effects of climate change on water resources are of paramount importance to the Central Asian countries. In the last decades, water supply security has turned out to be one of the major challenges for these countries. The supply initially ensured by snow …
The overall objective of the conference was to discuss the role of mountains as early indicators of climate change and the impact of global warming on mountain ecosystems. Specially, the actual state and the open gaps of scientific research were presented on several early indicators and in different mountain regions …
Significant studies on climate change and generation of data on high-altitude eco-systems can now be possible with the setting up of a high-altitude research centre at Ribling in Lahaul-Spiti by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). The centre will be of international importance considering the growing thrust on …
Geographical information and remote sensing systems play a special role in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region in support for informed decision making. This information sheet presents information on basic technologies, approaches, and applications related to geographical information and remote sensing, and used or developed by ICIMOD, as a background for understanding …
India and China are in talks to monitor the melting of glaciers in the Himalayas, a border region crucial to both countries' water supplies, Minister for Environment Jairam Ramesh has said. "We are talking to the Chinese about monitoring the Himalayan glaciers," Ramesh told the Financial Times. However, he said …
The booklet Mountain Biodiversity and Climate Change was developed from the contributions made at the International Mountain Biodiversity Conference in November 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal, which brought together representatives from the eight countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region with representatives of global programmes with experience related to data collection and …
Mountain wetlands are critically important ecosystems that provide locally and globally significant social, economic, and environmental benefits. Wetland inventorying is a key activity underpinning planning for sustainable use of wetlands and their resources and biodiversity. This manual provides an explanation and the practical tools and step-by-step guidelines for preparing an …
Helped by cooler, damp weather, firefighters gained the upper hand on a wildfire that has destroyed 77 homes since it was ignited -- apparently by power tools -- nearly a week ago. As of Sunday, fire crews had established containment lines around about two-thirds of the blaze, which has charred …
Six mountain climbers were killed in an avalanche near the ski resort of Soelden in the Austrian Alps at the weekend, regional police said Sunday. Witnesses spotted the snowslide in glacier-dotted highlands Saturday and alerted alpine rescuers but they could not reach the scene by helicopter until Sunday due to …
The Obama administration stepped up efforts to reverse a rule adopted late in the Bush administration that makes it easier for companies to deposit debris from mountaintop coal mining near streams. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar, left, said that the rule was legally flawed and that he had asked government lawyers …
The UN Climate Panel says seas could rise by 18-59 cms (7-24 inches) by 2100, without taking account the possible acceleration of a melt of ice sheets in Antarctica or Greenland. Even a small thaw of Antarctica and Greenland would affect sea levels since together they lock up enough ice …
Interim report of the People's Commission of Inquiry to inquire into the land deals, land transfers and displacement due to dams and Lavasa Project in the Sahyadri (mountainous) region of Pune, Maharashtra.
Professor Bruno Messerli, together with the team at ICIMOD made a tangible proposal for the long-term preservation of Himalayan genetic heritage: to select four representative
This paper deals with agricultural development and policies in mountains and hills in the Himalayan region. Mountain agriculture (instead of being confined to field crops as in the case of the prime land in plains) is an integrated system of resource usage, linking various land-based activities. As a result, the …
The impacts of climate change are already becoming evident in the Himalayan region in the form of a higher incidence and intensity of natural disasters. It is increasingly clear that the lives and livelihoods of the people of this region are at risk. Access to water, biodiversity, and environmental services …
Mountain communities have been adapting to changing environment for a long time. Traditional farming methods depending on recycling of available natural resources is the key to sustainable production systems. Local marketing systems have also played a vital role in reducing the emissions and food miles.
In the present publication, thirty technologies and approaches from the Nepal Conservation Approaches and Technologies (NEPCAT) database, documented using the WOCAT tool, are being published as printed fact sheets to facilitate sharing with a wider audience. The fact sheets are designed to support the efforts of rural development, especially in …
