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Establishment and Operation of a Flood Information System in the Hindu Kush Himalayas “Making information travel faster than floods”, HKH HYCOS User Phase 2015-2019 : Project Document
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD); World Meteorological Organization (WMO) - WMO, 2014Submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Finland by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal
Establishment and Operation of a Flood Information System in the Hindu Kush Himalayas “Making information travel faster than floods”, HKH HYCOS User Phase 2015-2019: Project Document
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Available online: Full text
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (Kathmandu, Nepal) ; World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Published by: WMO ; 2014Submitted to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Finland by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (WHYCOS) ; Hydrological cycle ; Flood ; Information management ; Himalayas ; Hindu Kush Himalaya-HYCOS
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Climate change in the Himalayas : current state of knowledge
This paper reviews the literature on the potential biophysical and economic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas. Existing observations indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate in Nepal and Chinese regions of the Himalayas compared with rest of the Himalayas. A declining trend of monsoon in the western Indian Himalayas and an increasing trend in the eastern Indian Himalayas have been observed, whereas increasing precipitation and stream flow in many parts of Tibetan Plateau are noted. Glaciers in both the eastern and western Himalayas are mostly retreating, but the majori ...
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Available online: http://www-wds.worldbank.org/external/default/WDSContentServer/WDSP/IB/2013/06/2 [...]
Narayan Prasad Gautam ; Govinda R. Timilsina ; Surya Raj Acharya ; World Bank
Published by: World Bank ; 2013This paper reviews the literature on the potential biophysical and economic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas. Existing observations indicate that the temperature is rising at a higher rate in Nepal and Chinese regions of the Himalayas compared with rest of the Himalayas. A declining trend of monsoon in the western Indian Himalayas and an increasing trend in the eastern Indian Himalayas have been observed, whereas increasing precipitation and stream flow in many parts of Tibetan Plateau are noted. Glaciers in both the eastern and western Himalayas are mostly retreating, but the majority of the glaciers in Karakorum are either stable or advancing slowly. Expansion of glacier lakes is reported, with the highest rate in Nepal and Bhutan. Most literature predicts increases in temperature and monsoon precipitations and decreases in winter precipitations in the future thereby leading to monsoon flooding and increased sediments in stream flow. Available hydrological simulations indicate reduced rainfall and shrinkage of glacier thereby leading to shortage of water supply for power generation and irrigation in winter particularly in highly glaciated basins. Projected economic impacts of glacial lake outburst floods can be substantial on the developed river basin with infrastructures and population centers. However, there is a clear gap in knowledge of economic impacts of climate change in the Himalayas.
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Climate ; Climate change ; Himalayas ; Region II - Asia
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Mid-Term Review of Establishment of a Regional Flood Information System (RFIS) in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya (RFIS; aka HKH-HYCOS) : Final Report
Mid-Term Review of Establishment of a Regional Flood Information System (RFIS) in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya (RFIS; aka HKH-HYCOS): Final Report
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Available online: Full text
Kristiina Mikkola ; Adarsha Pokhrel ; Dhruba Gautam ; World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
Published by: Impact Consulting Oy Ltd ; 2012Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: World Hydrological Cycle Observing System (WHYCOS) ; Hydrological cycle ; Flood ; Information management ; Himalayas ; Hindu Kush Himalaya-HYCOS
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Measuring Glacier Change in the Himalayas: In UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS), September 2012
UNEP, 2012A serious lack of reliable and consistent data severely hampers scientific knowledge about the state of Himalayan glaciers. As a result, the contribution of glacial melt to the Himalayan river basins remains uncertain. This is of grave importance because declining water availability could threaten the food security of more than 70 million people. There is thus an urgent need to improve cross-boundary scientific collaboration and monitoring of glaciers to bridge the knowledge gap and allow policy options to be based on appropriate scientific evidence.
Measuring Glacier Change in the Himalayas: In UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Environmental Alert Service (GEAS), September 2012
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Available online: http://na.unep.net/geas/getUNEPPageWithArticleIDScript.php?article_id=91
Published by: UNEP ; 2012
A serious lack of reliable and consistent data severely hampers scientific knowledge about the state of Himalayan glaciers. As a result, the contribution of glacial melt to the Himalayan river basins remains uncertain. This is of grave importance because declining water availability could threaten the food security of more than 70 million people. There is thus an urgent need to improve cross-boundary scientific collaboration and monitoring of glaciers to bridge the knowledge gap and allow policy options to be based on appropriate scientific evidence.
Notes: Thematic Focus: Climate Change, Ecosystem Management
Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Climate ; Climate monitoring ; Glacier ; Melting Ice ; Himalayas ; Region II - Asia
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Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security
National Academies Press, 2012Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human wat ...
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Available online: http://www.nap.edu/catalog.php?record_id=13449
Published by: National Academies Press ; 2012
Scientific evidence shows that most glaciers in South Asia's Hindu Kush Himalayan region are retreating, but the consequences for the region's water supply are unclear, this report finds. The Hindu Kush Himalayan region is the location of several of Asia's great river systems, which provide water for drinking, irrigation, and other uses for about 1.5 billion people. Recent studies show that at lower elevations, glacial retreat is unlikely to cause significant changes in water availability over the next several decades, but other factors, including groundwater depletion and increasing human water use, could have a greater impact. Higher elevation areas could experience altered water flow in some river basins if current rates of glacial retreat continue, but shifts in the location, intensity, and variability of rain and snow due to climate change will likely have a greater impact on regional water supplies.
Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security makes recommendations and sets guidelines for the future of climate change and water security in the Himalayan Region. This report emphasizes that social changes, such as changing patterns of water use and water management decisions, are likely to have at least as much of an impact on water demand as environmental factors do on water supply. Water scarcity will likely affect the rural and urban poor most severely, as these groups have the least capacity to move to new locations as needed. It is predicted that the region will become increasingly urbanized as cities expand to absorb migrants in search of economic opportunities. As living standards and populations rise, water use will likely increase-for example, as more people have diets rich in meat, more water will be needed for agricultural use. The effects of future climate change could further exacerbate water stress.
Himalayan Glaciers: Climate Change, Water Resources, and Water Security explains that changes in the availability of water resources could play an increasing role in political tensions, especially if existing water management institutions do not better account for the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. To effectively respond to the effects of climate change, water management systems will need to take into account the social, economic, and ecological complexities of the region. This means it will be important to expand research and monitoring programs to gather more detailed, consistent, and accurate data on demographics, water supply, demand, and scarcity.Language(s): English
Format: Digital (Free)Tags: Water ; Climate change ; Glacier ; Melting Ice ; Himalayas ; South Asia ; Region II - Asia
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Le Karakorum, glacier de l'Himalaya qui ne fond pas: In lemonde.fr
2012Les glaciers de l'Himalaya fondent lentement, mais une partie d'entre eux sont dans un état stable, voire regagnent légèrement du volume : c'est ce qui ressort de deux articles scientifiques parus dans les revues Science du 20 avril et Nature Geoscience du 15 avril.
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Origin and radiative forcing of black carbon transported to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Kopacz M.; Mauzerall D.L.; Wang J.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011The remote and high elevation regions of central Asia are influenced by black carbon (BC) emissions from a variety of locations. BC deposition contributes to melting of glaciers and questions exist, of both scientific and policy interest, as to the origin of the BC reaching the glaciers. We use the adjoint of the GEOS-Chem model to identify the location from which BC arriving at a variety of locations in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau originates. We then calculate its direct and snow-albedo radiative forcing. We analyze the seasonal variation in the origin of BC using an adjoint sensitivity ...
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Origin and radiative forcing of black carbon transported to the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau
Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP), Vol. 11. N° 3. Kopacz M.; Mauzerall D.L.; Wang J.; et al. - Copernicus GmbH, 2011The remote and high elevation regions of central Asia are influenced by black carbon (BC) emissions from a variety of locations. BC deposition contributes to melting of glaciers and questions exist, of both scientific and policy interest, as to the origin of the BC reaching the glaciers. We use the adjoint of the GEOS-Chem model to identify the location from which BC arriving at a variety of locations in the Himalayas and Tibetan Plateau originates. We then calculate its direct and snow-albedo radiative forcing. We analyze the seasonal variation in the origin of BC using an adjoint sensitivity ...
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Special issue - Atmospheric brown cloud in the Himalayas
is an issue of Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics (ACP). Copernicus GmbH, 2010
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The status and distribution of freshwater biodiversity in the Eastern Himalaya
IUCN, 2010Biodiversity within inland water ecosystems in the Eastern Himalaya region is both highly diverse and of great regional importance to livelihoods and economies. However, development activities are not always compatible with the conservation of this diversity, and the ecosystem requirements of biodiversity are frequently not considered in the development planning process. One of the main reasons cited for inadequate representation of biodiversity is a lack of readily available information on the status and distribution of inland water taxa. In response to this need for information, the IUCN Spe ...
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