The recently published book, Safeguarding Mountain Social-Ecological Systems (Elsevier), has a dedicated chapter on the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Using four case studies – from the HKH, Gilgit-Baltistan, Altai, and Nepal – the chapter presents a regional perspective on the major issues and challenges impacting people and ecosystems.
In their paper on “Safeguarding the Third Pole: Problems, challenges and possible solutions in the Hindu Kush Himalaya”, Sunita Chaudhary, ICIMOD Ecosystem Services Specialist and Biodiversity Lead, Abid Hussain, ICIMOD Senior Economist and Food Systems Specialist, Sanjeev Bhuchar, ICIMOD Senior Watershed Management Specialist, and Santosh Nepal from the International Water Management Institute discuss the complex and interrelated issues facing the HKH, focusing on the nexus of biodiversity, Climate Change, food, and springs.
Using an integrative literature review, they discuss the varied and interlinked impacts of climate and environmental change, the challenges they pose for risk management, and the proactive multiscale and multisectoral responses needed to address these challenges.
