The Fall of the Water

Conclusion The report has presented an overview of some of the current and possible future extent of threats to the wa- ter resources and biodiversity in the region in the con- text of piecemeal development, growing populations, water shortages and climate change. Desertification is – beyond the natural cycles and the effects of potential climate change – strongly in- fluenced by land use practices along road corridors including overgrazing, salinization of irrigated land and deforestation as an effect of logging, grazing and over-spenditure of water. Growing numbers of sedentary livestock near settle- ments and road corridors have led to overgrazing, de- forestation and subsequent erosion and increase in human vulnerability to flash floods and land slides. Erosion and dust storms are widely associated with overgrazing and abandonment of traditional migra- tory practices. Land slides are primarily associated with unsustainable land use practices such as de- forestation or abandonment of terraces, and further enhanced by tectonic activity and climate change. Deforestation is mainly concentrated along road corridors and lead to increased erosion and growing silt contents in rivers. Infrastructure development lead to growing resource exploitation, local pollution such as tailings from mining operations, logging and construction of dams with further impact on downstream populations. Infrastructure development has led to new and intensified settlement patterns and also substantial growth in poaching. Piecemeal development associated intensified land- use and subsequent secondary uncontrolled immi- gration has resulted in increased human vulnerabil- ity. The increased human vulnerability is the result of combined actions of settlement in high risk areas and growing interactions between unsustainable land use, intensified development, water consumption, ecosystem and wetland deterioration and climate change. Exposure to flash floods, glacial outbursts and periodic desertification from natural or anthro- pogenic driven desert cycling must be seen in the context of growing populations and piecemeal and intensified land use, not merely natural disasters. There are very few, if any, effective regional poli- cies in place to counter resource degradation and cumulative environmental impacts. There are many promising national and local initiatives, but the fun- damental challenge is to unite policy efforts across different management contexts. 1) 2) 3) 4) 5) 6) 7) 8) The growing problems:

However, a substantial increase in resources al- location, coordination and long-term planning is needed for the entire region to reverse the very seri- ous trends identified here. International collabora- tion is required to address the large-scale changes threatening watersheds. Local participatory programmes have been suc- cessful in many areas, such as Nepal, to reverse the environmental degradation. However, such pro- grammes have been insufficient for coping with the large-scale development changes depicted. The development of protected areas in Tibet and increased enforcement has been among the most significant environmental advances in the region. The trans-boundary collaboration between local scientists and international and foreign research institutions should be further strengthened. Other progress includes successful programmes to reverse and combat desertification and deforesta- tion in some local regions, particularly in Nepal and China. This progress clearly demonstrates that if adequate resources and well-coordinated efforts are invested, many of the potential devastating threats can be overcome. Bhutan is one of the few coun- tries that have managed to protect its cultures and biodiversity against unchecked industrial develop- ment up until recently, although this may be rapidly changing. Perhaps the most significant finding here is that the Greater Asian Mountain region and associated lowlands will most likely experience increasing environmental pressures as a result of growing interactions between climate change, intensified and expanding land-use along the infrastructure network and exacerbated by growing populations. In spite of the tremendous diversity in cultures, climate, governance and population density, the region has two major things in common: The sharing of the water re- sources and the growing threat from unchecked piece- meal development in the watersheds. This development will increasingly – if no policy is implemented – interact with growing populations and climate change to pro- duce previously unprecedented impacts on biodiversity and billions of people in this region by impacting the ecology and capacity of the water sheds to provide se- cure water. This challenge must be met. To reverse the development in established infrastructure, associated exploitation and subsequent settlement is at best extremely difficult. Hence, further development of protected areas and channeling of necessary resources to enforce such areas are needed. This includes funds to combat deforestation, poaching and desertification. Protected areas in the mountain ranges and high altitude plateaus may be the most rapid and effective policy ac- tion to be implemented to reverse the trend of biodiver- sity loss and growing risks to water resources. 2) 3) 4) 5)

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The positive responses:

1)

Many of the countries in the region, and particularly Bhutan, Nepal and China, are now rising to meet the environmental challenges.