Adaptation in the Himalayas: Knowledge, Action and Results

Upscaling of CB-FEWS

Experiences from Sarpallo community, Assam “Times have changed and the way we communicate has improved a lot for the villagers, especially the women,” says 30-year old Rinku Singh, a local woman farmer from Sarpallo – a community of 1,000 households (Ratu River, Koshi Basin). She explains how until a few years ago, villagers had to monitor the floods themselves. During heavy rains, local villagers took turns going to the river to check the water level, even in the middle of the night when it is difficult to take readings. A big flood hit the village in July 2016, but the early warning system enabled all the villagers to relocate to higher ground with their children, elderly, important documents and livestock. For many women like Singh, the system has been a source of reassurance, helping them to get the right information at the right time.

Following the success of the pilot, the Assam State Disaster Management Authority has expanded the CB-FEWS initiative to more flood-prone areas. CB-FEWS is also being upscaled in the region through capacity support provided by ICIMOD. In Nepal, CB-FEWS was first upscaled in the district of Bhurung Tatopani- Myagdi, in collaboration with Local Initiatives for Biodiversity, Research and Development (LI-BIRD), Sustainable Eco Engineering (SEE) and Environmental Camps for Conservation (ECCA) in 2014. It was later implemented along the flood-prone Ratu River (Koshi Basin), through the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology/ Community-based Flood and Glacial Lake Outburst Risk Reduction Project, with support from the ICIMOD Koshi River Basin programme. In Afghanistan, CB- FEWS is being piloted by FOCUS-Afghanistan, in collaboration with the Afghan National Disaster Management Authority in Bhaglan Province. In 2016, the scheme won the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) “Momentum for Change – Lighthouse Award”.

Coping with water extremes in Assam

In Dihiri village in Lhakimpur, Assam, the winter is so dry that the river disappears completely, forcing villagers to dig down into the sand for water. In the monsoon season, the same river floods and pushes the community further away from its banks each year. HICAP climate projections show that such conditions are likely to increase in severity, with climate change leading to more intense floods and droughts in vulnerable areas. Communities in the HKH region need to be given the tools to deal with such extremes while maintaining their livelihoods.

Tributary of the Brahmaputra River near Dihiri village in Lhakimpur, Assam, December 2016.

The same river in flood, July 2016. According to local CB-FEWS staff, the river flooded 38 times during the monsoon that year.

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