This presentation by ICIMOD focuses on the role of the Hindu Kush Himalayas in terms of irrigation, what the drivers of change and impacts on resources and people are, what the future water availability might be in that area and how we can sustain the mountain ecosystems.

1. Importance, Key Questions
on Resilience and Managing
Disasters in the Hindu Kush
Himalayas
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal

2. Supports extensive irrigation systems
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal

3. HKH is the source of ten major river
basins
210 million
people in the
HKH
1.3 billion people
downstream
3 billion people
benefit from food
and energy

4. Basins support some of the most
populated areas on the globe

5. Home to
4 of the 34 Global Biodiversity Hotspots,
60 Eco-regions, 488 Pas, and 330 Important Bird Areas

6. Major Questions
on the HKH Region that
needs to be addressed
looking into the
Future
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal

7. Drivers of change and impacts on
resources and people
Increased
scarcity of
drinking water
Natural springs and
water sources drying
up
Loss of productive
lands
Habitat loss for wildlife and productive lands
for domestic animals
Increased incidence
of forest fires

8. Climate change impacts on cryosphere
and future water availability

9. Sustaining mountain ecosystems and their
services - green economy

10. Energy needs, hydropower and
sustainable development of the HKH
Huge Hydropower Potential >500,000 MW in the HKH Region

11. Water induced disasters
Flood
Landslide/Avalanche
Famine
Water rel. Epidemic
Drought
Flash floods result
in higher mortality
rates
Jonkman, 2005

12. Poverty, vulnerability and food security

13. Gender in sustainable mountain
development including out-migration
Migration

14. The Himalayas are prone to
disasters
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal

15. Cumulative disaster event
Disaster statistics from 1990-2012
Hindu Kush Himalayan region
The region has
had an average of
76 disaster
events each year.
On average, more
than 36,000
people are killed
and 178 million
affected each
year due to
natural disasters
in the region.
Source: EM-DAT – The OFDA/CRED International Disaster Database

16. Water-related hazards
Flood
Landslide/Avalanche
Famine
Water rel. Epidemic
Drought
Flash floods result
in higher mortality
rates
Jonkman, 2005

17. Transboundary floods have greater
impact on lives and property
Globally, 10% of all floods are transboundary, and they cause over 30%
of all flood casualties and account for close to 60% of all those displaced
by floods.
Bakker, 2006

18. Lack of information, little preparation
 9 April 2000: Landslide blocked
the Yigong River, a tributary of
the Yarlung Zangbo
(Brahmaputra) River
 Outburst on 10 June 2000
created a huge flash flood of up
to 1.26x105 m3/s
 Extensive damage, but no
casualties in China
 In India, heavy causalities
- 30 dead
- >100 missing
- >50,000 homeless
- damage of USD 22.9 million

19. Data sharing can save lives and
property
1 month after
landslide
2.5 months after
landslide
After landslide
dam outburst
 Data sharing agreement developed between India
and China in 2002
 22 June 2004: Landslide blocked the Pareechu River
in Tibet (upper reaches of Sutlej River)
 Lake volume - 79,180,000 m3
 Chinese authorities communicated to their Indian
counterparts well before and when the breach
occurred
 56 villages along the Sutlej from Kinnaur to Bilaspur
were identified as at risk
 The dam burst on 25 June 2005
 The direct cost of flood damage was an estimated
USD 200 million
 There were no human casualties because of prior
communication from the upstream country

20. Lessons learned from disasters
 Data gaps
 End-to-end information systems
 Proper infrastructure planning
 Overarching need for transboundary
cooperation

21. Data gaps
Monitoring station distribution
• High-altitude monitoring stations are sparse
• Limited transboundary data sharing

22. Designing end-to-end flood information
system

23. Regional cooperation to share data:
Global WHYCOS framework
To improve basic observation activities, strengthen international cooperation,
and promote free exchange of data in the field of hydrometeorology

24. HKH-HYCOS: Setting up monitoring
stations and establishment of real-time
flood information systems
‘Making Information Travel Faster Than Flood Waters’
Establishment of a Regional
Flood Information System in the
HKH-Region - Timely exchange of
flood data and information through
an accessible and user friendly
platform
HYCOS is a vehicle for technology transfer,
training, and capacity building

25. High-tech, low-cost early flood warning
system in Bangladesh using a wireless
sensor network

26. Low-tech, low cost, community-based
flood early warning system in Assam
Flood Early Warning System “AL6M”
Flood Gauge
Control Unit
Manufactured by
Rain Gauge
Sustainable Eco Engineering Pvt. Ltd
Patan, Lalitpur -16, Nepal

27. ICIMOD’s state-of-the-art MODIS receiving
facility helps provide timely data for various
applications, including early flood and fire
detection
MODIS receiving facility
MODIS images are used for national
and regional level mapping including
rapid response mapping after a flood
event.
Visit http://geoportal.icimod.org/realtime/modis.aspx# to visualize MODIS image.

28. Conclusion
• Need for end-to-end information systems
– Hi-tech to low-tech
– Science to government to community
• Infrastructure planning
– Identify risks and vulnerabilities
• Mountain specific planning
• Transboundary information sharing
– Sharing mechanisms
• Underpinned by regional cooperation

29. Thank you