Posted on 28 January
2011 - Thimphu, Bhutan: Governments of four
Eastern Himalayan states announced plans
today that will lead to the development
of a unified climate change adaptation plan
for the mountainous region.
Delegates from Bangladesh,
Bhutan, India and Nepal met in Thimphu on
January 27 and 28 to start planning 10-year
national and regional adaptation frameworks
that will be tabled later this year.
“Climate change is a
shared problem and regions bound by common
issues and geographical boundaries should
coordinate efforts to deal with its impacts
on the Himalayan biodiversity. Actions must
be expedited at local, national and regional
levels,” said the Honorable Minister for
Agriculture and Forests Bhutan, Dr. Pema
Gyamtsho.
Key concerns to be addressed
by the decade-long framework include ensuring
food, water and energy security as well
as maintaining high levels of biodiversity
in the region’s temperate and alpine forests.
Working groups based
in each of the four nations will hammer
out details on food, water, biodiversity
and energy targets over the following months.
Final plans will be tabled at the Climate
Summit for a Living Himalayas scheduled
for 14 October in Thimphu, Bhutan.
Roof of the world
The Eastern Himalayas
encompass Bhutan, northeast India, Nepal,
southern parts of Tibet and the north of
Myanmar. The area is home to the world’s
highest mountains and deepest gorges, subtropical
jungles, temperate forests, grasslands,
savannas and alpine meadows.
Its glaciers and ice
fields feed some of the world’s most important
river systems, on which millions of people
depend. It is also home to thousands of
rare species of plants and animals, including
snow leopards and one-horned rhinos.
Impacts of climate change
and human activity
This diverse region
is extremely vulnerable to variations in
temperature, rainfall, and extreme weather
events. Far from rosy projections indicate
that climate change will not only amplify
human impacts but also have far-reaching
consequences on the region’s biodiversity,
freshwater resources and the socio-economic
conditions of the people living there.
Increasing human activities
are also threatening much of the Himalayan
region’s biological wealth. Reckless use
of natural resources is degrading forest
ecosystems, reducing their ability to regenerate
and provide essential goods and services.
Meanwhile, growing competition
for land and other resources has triggered
numerous conflicts between humans and wildlife.
“To secure the Eastern
Himalayan ecosystem from climate change
and development pressures, it is essential
for the nations in the region to work on
a unified strategy,” said Tariq Aziz, Leader
of WWF’s Living Himalayas Initiative.
The
Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas is
supported by WWF, the MacArthur Foundation,
International Centre for Integrated Mountain
Development (ICIMOD), UNDP, FAO and the
International Fund for Agricultural Development
(IFAD).
