Role of ICIMOD
Table: Knowledge Gaps and Institutional Requirements
Strategic elements Knowledge gaps Institutional capacity building needs
and options for
water storage
Community water Rewards and Transboundary
governance compensation for cooperation mechanism
ecosystem services
Cryosphere Need to understand the Need to develop and Need to exchange
response of glacier systems institutionalise glacier information on glacier
to climate change mass balance monitoring research and monitoring;
(see Armstrong et al.*) schemes need to ensure represen-
tativeness in the regional
context of glaciers selected
for in-depth studies
Wetland Need to understand the Need mechanism for Need mechanism for
conservation vulnerability of wetlands communities depending on downstream users to
(see Harris et al.*) wetlands to participate in reward upstream
wetland conservation communities for wetland
conservation and
management
Water harvesting Need to study the support Need mechanism for active Need mechanism for
and watershed of traditional institutions for community participation in downstream users to
management, incl. water storage management watershed management reward upstream
soil moisture (see Upadhya*) communities for good
maintenance watershed management
Groundwater Need to gather information Need community level Need mechanism for
aquifer recharge about groundwater aquifer mechanism for developing managing aquifer
systems (see Shrestha*) aquifers based on princi- recharge and groundwater
ples of shared construction withdrawal from the three
and maintenance costs transboundary aquifers in
the region
Reservoirs for Need to explore the Need mechanism for Need mechanism for
water storage potential for using natural making local community sharing costs and benefi ts
lakes for storage; and for contributions to construc- of large storage reservoir
harnessing and storing of tion and maintenance of projects
glacial and snow reservoirs, and for
meltwater at high altitudes allocating water to local
(see Vaidya*) farms and families
*References in the knowledge gaps column relate to the preceding articles in this publication.
and universities in the region are its obvious allies Traditional institutional mechanisms concerning
in promoting the mountain agenda. Of particular community water governance play an important role in
importance are the national institutions that regional the success of the initiatives that harness natural systems.
member countries have recently created in response Institutional mechanisms would also be necessary to
to growing concern about global climate change and facilitate the downstream benefi ciaries of ecosystem
increased natural hazard risks. ICIMOD also promotes services to reward and compensate the upstream
long-term partnerships with international centres of providers of those services. Furthermore, improved
excellence as a means to acquire the specifi c expertise institutional mechanisms are needed to encourage
it needs in technical areas. nations that share common rivers to cooperate in
building sustainable water storage systems.
Knowledge gaps and institutional requirements
To fully harness the potential of storage in the region,
for development of water storage capacity
the knowledge gaps on the cryosphere and biosphere
The preceding articles in this publication indicate that will need to be addressed. Scientifi c information
it is possible to utilise the potential of water storage and knowledge would also provide the basis for
capacity for adaptation to climate change. However, implementation of all these institutional mechanisms,
there is a need to look for ways to turn the natural whether it be the information necessary for water
storage options from a passive source to a planned allocation, for the valuation of ecosystem services, or
active source. Appropriate institutional mechanisms for for sharing benefi ts and costs of dammed reservoirs.
water governance are needed for this. The knowledge gaps and needs for building institutional
capacity for water storage options are summarised
in the Table.
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