GRID-Arendal: 30 Years of Making a Difference

GRID-Arendal helped tell the story of why mountain ecosystems are important. We did this through an excellent new publication called the Himalayan Climate andWater Atlas: Impact of Climate Change onWater Resources in Five of Asia’sMajor River Basins . The West African nations came together to file a joint submission on the UN Law of the Sea Convention. GRID-Arendal worked with Cabo Verde, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mauritania, Senegal and Sierra Leone for over eight years to help build the trust and capacity needed to make this historic submission. A new Rapid Response Assessment report on waste crime told the story of the illegal trade of hazardous waste. Entitled Waste Crime – Waste Risks: Gaps in Meeting the Global Waste Challenge the report found that huge amounts hazardous waste is illegally traded or dumped each year. Prepared by GRID-Arendal for UNEP, Waste Crime highlighted the fact that the illegal e-waste trade is estimated to be worth US $19 billion a year. To tell a story in a different way, GRID-Arendal launched its first story maps. This is part of a new initiative that uses an old technology (maps) merged with new techniques and social media to attract attention to important stories. This innovative approach combines maps, graphics and video to communicate complex ideas in a simple story format. GRID-Arendal supported a group of 16 journalists who went to Astrakhan, Russia in May on a media tour to examine the sturgeon-poaching situation in the Northern Caspian. The journalists produced 10 stories on the topic in local and national print media, and 23 online publications. A 25-minute report on sturgeon poaching was included in a prime time TV Channel 1 show in Russia, and a 15-minute report for the environmental programme Territory Tomorrow appeared on Russian state TV, ORT Channel.

A L T A Y M O

The Hindu Kush Himalayan region

T a r b a

U N T A I N

H a n

g a t a y R a

g a y n

n g e

M o u

n t a

i n s

K A Z A K H S T E P P E

S

n s

u n t a i

w M o

BETPAQDALA DESERT

Junggar Basin

A l a t a

B o r o h o r o

M o u n

QIZILQUM DESERT

t a i n

MONGOLIAN PLATEAU

s

Karatau Range

T I A N S H A N

G O

C H I N A

B I

D E S

TARIM BASIN

E R T

y

a l l e

a V

a n

r g

F e

H e x i

C o r r

AMUDARYA

i d o

n t a i n s

TARIM

r

A l t u n M o u

TAKLIMAKAN DESERT

GARAGUM DESERT

Q U I L

YELLOW RIVER

PAMIRS

I A N

Q a i

M O U

d a m

B a s i n

N T A I

N S

Westerlies

M O U N T A I

K U N L U N

N S

Loess Plateau

K A R

H I

H

U S

N D

U K

A K O

P a

g e

R A M

r o

a n

p a

s R

m i

s u

Y

K ABUL

a

n

g

t

I SLAMABAD

z

Salt Range

e

Vale of Kashmir

A FGHANISTAN

P L A T E A U O F T I B E T

S u l a i m a n R a n g e

P AKISTAN

H

Margo Desert Rigestan

I

C H I N A

M

INDUS

A

2015

YANGTSE

d u s

L

Central Bruhui Range

A Y

N EPAL

I n

A S

Tsangpo Gorge

Siwalik Hills

N EW D ELHI

BRAHMAPUTRA

Dalou Mountains

K ATHMANDU

B HUTAN

THAR DESERT

n

a

r

a

t r

u

Kirthar Range

k

a p

a

m

M

l

h

G

B r

a

a

t r

C

n

e

s

Arvalli Range

a

l

n

H i l

g

G A N

e s

GANGES

Khasi Hills

YUNGUI PLATEAU

G E S

g a

P L A I

Indus Delta

N a

N

Elevation Metres

y

D HAKA

d

C

d

C h o

t a

h i

N ä e a u

I r r a w a

Ganges Delta Sundarbans

g p

g e

u r

a R a n

n

P l a t

V i n d h y

H i l l s

0 1 000 3 000 6 000

g e

Kathiawar Peninsula

a n

a R

p u r

S a t

SHAN PLATEAU

B ANGLADESH

IRRAWADDY

MEKONG

I N D I A

N AYPYIDAW SALWEEN

Hindu Kush Himalayas Major river basin

EASTERN GHATS

Arakan Yoma

A N N A M

S

DECCAN PLATEAU

a l

M YANMAR

V IENTIANE

w e e n

I T E R

W E S T

Khorat Plateau

n s o o n

A N G

n m o

I n d i a

E R N

INDOCHINA PENINSULA

M e

Irrawaddy Delta

E

G H A T

k

o n g

Central Highlands

S

P HNOM P ENH

Myeik Arch.

Laccadive Islands

Andaman Islands

Mekong Delta

The boundaries and names shown and the designations used on this map do not imply official endorsement or acceptance by ICIMOD, CICERO or GRID-Arendal.