Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Identified gaps and recommendations

Sectoral policies Water: Policies in the water sector are relatively advanced in terms of climate change adaptation and recognise the need to adapt to hazards such as floods, flash floods and droughts. Certain countries also specifically address certain hazards, such as GLOFs in Nepal, China, Bhutan and India; reduced snow cover in India and China; and avalanches inNepal. However, more focus should be placed on both local and regional preventive measures when dealing with relevant hazards. Enhancing transboundary cooperation amongst countries could be a way forward. With the projected climate uncertainty and uneven spatial and temporal water availability, innovative water storage and management solutions are needed for the times of plenty, and times of scarcity. Food and Agriculture: None of the existing food and agricultural policies explicitly offer comprehensive measures to address climate change adaptation, however certain countries do address specific hazards (e.g. Bangladesh and Pakistan have strategies addressing floods, and together with Afghanistan they address droughts, and Afghanistan also address ecosystems degradation). Current agricultural policies rarely consider the socially uneven impact of climate change specifically on women, children and the elderly. More attention must be paid to having more resilient agriculture in terms of the water availability for irrigation purposes. The quality of food with a strong focus on nutrition needs to be looked into. Furthermore, the connection between risks of climate change, farmers’ practices, and policies need to be strengthened. Good practices on the ground (done

autonomously) need to be further supported by appropriate research, policies, and extension services. Forests and biodiversity: Forest and biodiversity conservation policy documents in the HKH are mainly focussed on sustainable forest management, conforming to a number of global programs and conventions such as REDD+ and the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), and regional cooperation for the management of protected areas. The policies,

however, do not adequately address mountain relevant hazards or adaptation measures. In particular, forest fires are a rapidly emerging concern for the region, and legislation and management policies need to be strengthened to provide targeted solutions such as fire alerts. Furthermore, policies need to better consider the current and projected vegetation and species range shift due to the warming temperatures, which has the potential to adversely impact local livelihoods, ecosystem services, and human-wildlife conflicts.

Paddy cultivation in Myitkyina, Myanmar

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