NDF provides EUR 10 million to address the climate risks in the Himalayas

The snow and ice in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalaya are vital for the people and nature in the region. The glaciers feed Asia’s most important rivers, sustain irrigation, and provide fresh water for 2 billion people across the region.

All of this is under threat. Climate change is accelerating and causing glaciers to disappear, disrupting water availability and having devastating impacts on people, ecosystems and infrastructure. The consequences are severe: multi-hazard risks from floods and landslides to droughts are becoming more frequent and more disruptive.

Addressing this climate-development-water nexus requires an integrated, basin-scale approach that strengthens resilience regionally and across sectors. The initiative aims to do that by strengthening governance for better climate and water management and investing in grey and nature-based infrastructure to secure long-term resilience, and by enhancing understanding of climate risks and their impacts on communities.

NDF is partnering with ADB through two complementary technical assistance initiatives: Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, which focuses on disaster risk management and multi-hazard early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods. The second initiative is the Resilient River Basin Initiative, which focuses on river-basin management and long-term water security to ensure sustainable development.

“The emphasis on multi-hazard early warning systems, sustainable river basin management, and climate-resilient infrastructure will be key to protecting livelihoods and fostering sustainable development in the face of mounting climate risks. Overall, this multi-partner, multi-sectoral initiative represents a promising model for climate adaptation and resilience-building in mountain regions and beyond,” says Siv Ahlberg, Program Manager at NDF.

NDF’s co-financing will enable technical expertise that will support the planning of tangible, on-the-ground solutions and foster collaboration between the project partners. The initiative's regional work will be guided by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), which is strongly supported by the Nordic countries, especially Norway and Sweden, to promote sustainable development in vulnerable communities through projects covering climate resilience.