Local responses to too much and too little water in the greater Himalayan region
focussing on mitigation of greenhouse gas emissions to
Approach and Methodology
increasing awareness of the importance of adaptation
to unfavourable impacts from changes in climate and its
Field documentation and assessments were carried
variability (Schipper and Burton 2009). Simultaneously,
out over a period of one year in five case study areas
numerous studies contributed to building awareness
in China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan on how people
that the least developed countries will suffer the most
respond to water stress and hazards in the context of
negative impacts from climate change. These countries
climate variability and change. The five case study
have contributed the least to global warming and at the
sites span the Hindu Kush-Himalayas from west to
same time are most vulnerable because they have not
east, covering a variety of geographical and climatic
yet benefited from industrialised development.
situations. Two studies in the Koshi basin provided an
upstream-downstream context in Nepal and India.
In the context of impact from ongoing and future climate
change, it is increasingly important to understand the
ICIMOD held national consultation meetings and then
broad spectrum of adaptation. Historically, most work
selected the following partners for the field studies
on climate adaptation has taken a global, large-scale,
based on criteria such as their previous experience in
or sector-based perspective. There is a gap in research
adaptation research, long-term experience working
on local adaptation processes, and the factors enabling
with communities, and potential as long-term strategic
or constraining them (ISET 2008) and a need for studies
partners:
based on evidence of local adaptation practices.
• the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP)
worked in Chitral district in the North West Frontier
The present study was designed to contribute to filling
Province in Pakistan;
this research gap. The aim was to document and assess
• the Institute for Social and Environment Transition in
the strategies that mountain people use to cope with
Nepal (ISET-Nepal) worked in the middle hills of the
and adapt to variations in available water resources
Koshi basin in Nepal;
induced by climate change. The results were based on
• Winrock International worked in the Koshi basin
the findings from five case studies undertaken in four
and flood plains of Bihar in India;
countries in the greater Himalayan region (China, India,
Nepal, and Pakistan). The case studies identified and
• the non-government organisation Aaranyak worked
documented local responses to flood hazards and water
in the floodplains of the Brahmaputra in the state of
stress as part of the projects ‘Too much water, too little
Assam in northeast India; and
water – adaptation strategies to climate-induced water
• Kunming Institute of Botany (KIB) collaborated with
stress and hazards in the greater Himalayan region’
the International Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) to
and ‘Himalayan climate change impact and adaptation
work in the Salween and Mekong river basins in
assessment’.
Yunnan province, China.
Water served as an entry point to assess local
The field teams were supported by a resource group
adaptation strategies to (climate) change. These are often
which included members from ICIMOD, Stockholm
responses to a combination of stresses or changes –
Environment Institute (SEI, Bangkok), IIED (International
environmental, physical, economic, social, technological,
Institute for Environment and Development, UK), United
institutional, and political – and rarely made in response
Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the
to climate stresses alone. However, the economic and
Institute for Social and Environmental Transition (ISET).
social effects or implications of climate stress are often
Two regional workshops were organised for the field
fundamental in triggering adaptive responses. Therefore
teams to discuss and agree on a common research
addressing the impacts of water stress and hazard
design and to review their progress and outputs.
alone is not enough. Wherever relevant, non-climatic
Resource persons provided strategic assistance via
stresses have been considered in order to understand the
critical reviews of draft case studies.
responses to stresses and hazards related to water.
The field teams were asked to focus the discussion
This report presents the main findings from the case
on the impacts of past and current water stresses and
studies in Part 2 in five separate chapters. The full
hazards (versus ‘impacts of climate change’ per se)
reports of the field teams are provided on a CD in the
when in the field. They investigated the following
back of the book.
questions at selected sites.
4