Adaptation in the Himalayas: Knowledge, Action and Results

Foreword Global climate change is one of the most important issues of our time, and the effects that have long been predicted are now being felt by communities worldwide, often profoundly altering the conditions for human livelihoods. People in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region are among the world’s most vulnerable to climate and other changes. There is an urgent need to achieve a better understanding of the cumulative impacts of change in this region, and to find ways to improve livelihoods and increase security in the face of these changes. The global and complex nature of these changes and their impacts, with issues linking across national borders and regions, requires an international and interdisciplinary collaboration. The Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP), supported jointly by the governments of Norway and Sweden, has been implemented by three leading organizations in the fields of environment, climate research and communications based in Norway and Nepal, collaborating with 28 regional partner institutions in nine countries.

This interdisciplinary collaboration has succeeded in filling significant gaps in our knowledge of recent and future climate change and its impacts on water resources, ecosystems, and people in the region, particularily women, while identifying and testing viable adaptation solutions that have already benefited thousands of people. The project has also contributed to a better contextualization of climate change at the local and national level, highlighting how both climate change, impacts and adaptation are part of a broader complex of local challenges, needs and opportunities. In many ways, HICAP has laid the ground work for making the Hindu Kush Himalayan region more resilient to the multiple challenges that face it. We are pleased to present this report, which highlights some of the key achievements of HICAP. We hope that the findings and successes described in this report will continue to inspire research, governments and individuals to take part in the ongoing process of creating a more sustainable future for all.

David Molden, ICIMOD

Kristin Halvorsen, CICERO

Peter Harris, GRID-Arendal

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