The Koshi river has drawn the attention of scientific, engineering, and political leaders for decades. During the colonial era, the British rulers of India were concerned about the floods and high sediment load of the river and they aimed to control flooding in the Koshi delta in Bihar.
Adaptation and mitigation are complementary and should not be perceived as mutually exclusive approaches: In the HKH region, adaptation and land-based mitigation are intimately linked and
are not mutually exclusive; mitigation activities can become an important complement to adaptation initiatives and, as such, should be supported by regional policy and enabling frameworks.
In this latest report ICIMOD has highlighted the vulnerability of the Eastern Himalayan ecosystems to climate change as a result of their ecological fragility and economic marginality.
The booklet Mountain Biodiversity and Climate Change was developed from the contributions made at the International Mountain Biodiversity Conference in November 2008 in Kathmandu, Nepal, which brought together representatives from the eight countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region with representatives of global programmes with experience related to data collection and biodiversity conservation
Early warning of floods is essential for helping to save lives, property, and livelihoods from the adverse impacts of flooding. In order to provide early warning, however, it is necessary to know how much rain is falling where and when, and how much of it will flow downstream.
Mountain wetlands are critically important ecosystems that provide locally and globally significant social, economic, and environmental benefits. Wetland inventorying is a key activity underpinning planning for sustainable use of wetlands and their resources and biodiversity.
