Water
Each day, one of every two people on the planet quenches his thirst with water that originates in mountains. And as the world population swells to an estimated 9.6 billion by 2050, the worldwide demand for freshwater will continue to soar.
More than half of humanity relies on mountain freshwater for everyday life. The ten largest rivers originating in the Hindu Kush Himalayas alone supply water to over 1.35 billion people. Some of the world’s largest cities, including New York, Rio de Janeiro, Nairobi, Tokyo and Melbourne, are dependent on freshwater from mountains.
Climate change is already causing more than 600 glaciers to disappear, resulting in springs and rivers drying up. Greater frequency of extreme weather events, droughts and floods, including flash floods and glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs), are also expected to increase in mountains, causing imbalance between current water supply and demand.
Given the importance of mountain water resources worldwide, the careful management of mountain water resources is a global priority. Water management practices need to be adapted to different climatic zones, using locally adapted soil and water management techniques. Most importantly, watershed management must take into account the needs of all those who depend on mountain water, including those who have the greatest stake in preserving healthy mountain ecosystems – people who live in mountain areas themselves, who are often marginalized from the decision-making processes.
Reflections to Review: Climate Adaptation in HimalayanewsRecognizing the climatic changes and their impacts in Himalayan Mountains, Prakriti, a mountain environment group (and Mountain Partnership member) based in Rudraprayag district of Uttarakhand, India founded a Pan-Himalayan initiative called ‘Climate Himalaya’ to divest its efforts in Climate Adaptation and Sustainable Mountain Development. The initiative was launched formally on...
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Study Finds There’s Still Hope For Himalayan GlaciersnewsPrevious fears regarding the Himalayan glacier may have been unduly warranted, according to the results of the HIGHNOON (Adaption to changing water resources availability in northern India with Himalayan glacier retreat and changing monsoon pattern) project. Researchers led by the University of Zurich in Switzerland claim that previous...
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Brazil launches Green Passport Campaign on Eve of World Environment DaynewsThe Green Passport initiative has been launched by the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and the government of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. The campaign, which started ahead of World Environment Day on 5 June, aims to help travelers become more environmentally conscious. UNEP spokesperson Nick Nuttall says thousands...
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AfDB and WWF to launch Africa Ecological Footprint ReportnewsThe African Development Bank (AfDB) and global conservation group WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) have launched today a joint report on the state of Africa’s environment. The Africa Ecological Footprint Report takes stock of the health of Africa’s ecosystems, as well as trends in resources use...
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Voices from the Waters: 7th International Film Festival on WaternewsBangalore Film Society, in collaboration with Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, SVARAJ, Finger Lakes Environmental Film Festival (FLEFF), Ithaca College, USA), Christ University, Bangalore, VISTHAR, Charter of Human Responsibilities, SAMVADA, Karnataka Chalanachitra Academy, YWCA Bangalore, Pacific Asia Resource Centre (PARC), Tokyo and Water Journeys - Campaign for Fundamental Right to Water,...
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Workshop: The Impact of Retreating Glaciers in the Andes - Multidisciplinary International Network for Adaptation StrategieseventThe workshop, organized by the International Hydrological Programme (IHP) and the Man and the Biosphere (MAB) programme of UNESCO, with the support of the Mountain Partnership Secretariat at FAO, the Consortium for Sustainable Development of the Andean Ecoregion (CONDESAN), the Andean Climate Change Interamerican Observatory Network (ACCION), the Working Group...
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