Outlook on climate change adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

better post-disaster recovery measures to prevent the spread of diseases and reduce the vulnerabilities to trafficking and violence, especially of/towards women and children. Tourism: The majority of the HKH countries have tourism policies and strategies in place. These policies acknowledge the negative impact of influx of tourists on mountain environments and the need for sustainable management, and some countries have begun to recognize that the impact of climate change can be a limiting factor for the sector. However, there is a gap in anticipating the potential adverse impacts of climate hazards on this sector. Furthermore, the sector needs to be better prepared for the increasing number of tourists visiting the mountains due to frequent heat waves in low lands. The policies furthermore need to have a mechanism in place to take care of tourists in times of extreme events. Cross-cutting issues Gender: Gender discrimination is a critical issue for the HKH region, nonetheless, gender mainstreaming in policy documents is weak in the majority of countries. Gender-relevant vulnerabilities are not adequately addressed, and there is no specific strategy to address the differential impacts of climate change on women (who are disproportionally at the forefront of climate change, also due to the additional challenge of male outmigration). The participation of women in key decision-making and policy process is limited. These are key obstacles to facilitating women’s safety and productivity, and for identifying them as distinct stakeholders in adaptation planning. Indigenous communities: The specific focus on indigenous communities in climate change adaptation is almost absent in the HKH countries. Research literature, worryingly, suggest an existing social

Paro Taktsang, Bhutan

discrimination against these communities, especially in terms of access to land. Also troublingly, various HKH countries do not recognize indigenous people as indigenous, leading to difficulties in applying the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People (UNDRIP). Transboundary cooperation Strengthening scientific data sharing and collaboration: To get a better understanding of projected climate change impacts, the HKH countries would benefit from regional collaboration on the generation and sharing of scientific data. Climate data constraints could be addressed by developing region- and topography-specific climate models based on comprehensive local data, and by scaling up regional

information to general circulation models to improve their accuracy and relevance to mountain regions. Upstream – downstream: As many communities in the HKH depend upon the rivers in the region, there is a great potential to minimize damage from water related disaster by strengthening regional cooperation, including between upstream and downstream communities. In order to improve adaptation coordination and beneficial knowledge-sharing across communities and regions, the use of information and communications technology (ICT) solutions, including SMS-based technology, for real-time communication of early disaster warnings and more regular seasonal climate information such as updates on ongoing changes in water flow and droughts could be introduced across the HKH countries.

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