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Water-related disasters in the HKH Despite the essential role that water from the HKH plays in economic development and providing livelihoods and food for millions of people, it is also the source of water- related disasters (such as floods, droughts and landslides), pollution and disease for millions of people – both in the mountains and downstream. An estimated 96% of all flood- affected people worldwide live in Asia and are affected by its rivers. 49 Asian rivers also cause 40% of flood fatalities worldwide. 50 Between 1990 and 2012, an average of 76 disaster events occurred in the Hindu Kush Himalayan countries each year, and about one-third of these were caused by floods. 51 The four largest floods that occurred between 2000 and 2013 killed a combined total of more than 10,000 people and displaced over 50 million. 52 Droughts are also a real issue in certain regions, although the overall impact on human populations is lower than flood events. In Chitral, Pakistan, variations in the frequency and duration of rain are the main reason for prolonged droughts, which affect the socioeconomic conditions of the people. 53 In China, the drought experienced in Baoshan in 2009–2010 was the worst reported in 100 years. The topography, terrain, physical features and changing climate of the Hindu Kush Himalayas also make this region inherently unstable and prone to hazards. These include earthquakes, landslides, floods, droughts and other natural disasters. Steep slopes, prolonged or intense periods of heavy rainfall and unstable bedrock all promote the conditions for such hazards. Human activities that cause soil erosion and decrease the retention of water, such as deforestation, can further increase the risk of landslides and slope failure. The Hindu Kush

Himalayas are also one of the youngest and most geologically unstable mountain ranges in the world. The collision of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates – which created the towering Himalayan mountains – is ongoing and makes this region highly vulnerable to earthquakes. The steep slopes and ridges amplify the intensity of seismic waves resulting in increased damage. The 2015 earthquake that hit Nepal killed over 8,900 people, injured a further 22,000 people, damaged or destroyed around 900,000 buildings including homes, cultural sites and schools, and displaced millions. 54 Natural disasters frequently occur in, and severely affect, the region because the human population is both highly exposed and vulnerable to natural hazards. High rates of urbanization and high population levels have led to settlements in areas vulnerable to flood risk. Many villages and farmland in mountainous areas are scattered across steep terrain and vulnerable to landslides. Most of the agriculture in mountains is rainfed and, therefore, highly vulnerable to rainfall variability. To cope with climate extremes such as floods, flash floods, droughts and water shortages, households often resort to labour migration as a livelihood strategy.

Killed by climate-related disasters in Himalayan countries

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