KATHMANDU, Dec 1: An international conference titled 'Resilient Hindu Kush Himalayas: Developing Solutions towards a Sustainable Future for Asia' is being held in Kathmandu from December 3 to 6 in order to understand change and raise awareness, develop options and opportunities and foster partnerships for action.

The conference in which more than 330 participants including scientists and experts, policymakers, women and youths from 26 countries will take part is being jointly organized by the Ministry of Population and Environment, and the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

Organizing a press meet on Thursday, ICIMOD officials said that the conference aims to identify, discuss and jointly recommend possible resilient solution packages suitable for mountain areas. “The conference will approach resilience building for transformative change in the HKH from a holistic perspective, seen in the context of multiple change processes in mountain areas,” said Nand Kishor Agrawal, program coordinator at ICIMOD. “Then it will be recommended to the governments for implementation,” he added.

Climate change and other factors of change in the HKH have already begun to impact ecosystems and communities and often manifest in communities through an increasing vulnerability and exposure to natural disasters such as floods, droughts and landslides, as well as affecting on agriculture and livelihoods of people.

“So, there is a need to strengthen approaches for building resilience in the mountains, as required for achieving many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and neglecting mountain resilience will inevitably lead to sustainability challenges in the plains,” said Dr David Molden, Director General at the ICIMOD. 

The HKH are the source of 10 major river systems in Asia that provide water, ecosystem services and livelihoods to more than 210 million people.

 
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