Rising impacts of climate change felt across HKH region

By A Staff Reporter, Kathmandu, June 22: The impacts of climate change are increasingly being felt across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, with more frequent and extreme heatwaves, floods, droughts and landslides. Likewise, changes in snowfall, permafrost and glacier loss continue at an alarming rate. 

Added to this, air pollution across the region remains critical – severely affecting the health and well-being of millions. Against this backdrop, Development Alternatives (DA), based in New Delhi, India, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) have entered into a long-term partnership to create a more sustainable future for the HKH region. The two organisations signed a long-term Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at ICIMOD’s headquarters in Kathmandu, Nepal, said a press statement issued by ICIMOD on Friday.

This strategic partnership signifies a commitment to reducing climate risks and their impacts on millions of people in the region while building regional leadership in sustainable development in the HKH. The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration in critical areas such as reducing climate risks, promoting adaptation strategies, promoting livelihood security and building regional leadership in sustainable development, said the statement. 

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, said, “Meaningful and sustainable partnerships between organisations like Development Alternatives and ICIMOD are essential to take forward relevant and impactful actions to address challenges the HKH is facing. Through this partnership, we can pool the rich expertise, knowledge and wide network of researchers and practitioners of both DA and ICIMOD, to further accelerate the promotion and adoption of sustainable climate practices and secure livelihoods for mountain communities.”

The MoU demonstrates our shared commitment to working together to address the pressing environmental challenges facing the Hindu Kush Himalaya,” said Ashok Khosla, Chairman of Development Alternative Group. “This partnership will allow us to combine our expertise to create a more resilient and sustainable future for the region.”

Shrashtant Patara, CEO of Development Alternatives, said, “This MoU lays the foundation for new initiatives aimed at addressing the three of the most pressing global crises of our times – Climate change, resource degradation, and joblessness, acute forms of which are being faced by mountain economies. 

Through this partnership, DA will work collaboratively with ICIMOD across various thematic areas to promote livelihood security, resource efficiency, cleaner air, and climate resilience among the communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region, said Patara.