Changing Glaciers and Hydrology in Asia - Environmental Health at ...

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Glacier Melt Drivers, Threats, Impacts and IssuesDrivers of GlacierMelt/ RetreatThreats: GlacierMelt/RetreatImpacts ofThreatsIssues/Sectorsto be AddressedWarming due toincreasing greenhousegasesGLOFsInjury and death,displacement, landdamageDisasterpreparedness andmanagementSurface melt due toblack soot aerosolsdeposited on glaciersLocation of the HighAsia - near the world’slargest source of blackcarbon (S and E Asia)Changes inhydrologicsystemsDroughts andfloodsDecreased foodproduction,changes inlivelihoodsHealthyecosystems,biodiversityFood and watersecurityAbove-average rates ofpopulation growth andpoverty in S and E Asiacoupled with lack ofclean energytechnology amplifyconsumption ofbiomass fuels andemissions of blackcarbonHunger,malnutrition,increasedsusceptibility todiseasesResilience, health,human capitalExample Cross-Sector, Co-Benefit InterventionIntervention:Improve WaterCatchmentsPolicy: providefunding and technicalassistancePublic Info: Providehow-to information oncreating new andimproving oldcatchmentsPartnerships: Joinwith community andlocal organizations toincrease catchmentpotentialResearch: TrackoutcomesAddressesimpactsWith potential cobenefitsaddressingDecreased foodproduction,changes inlivelihoodsHunger,malnutrition,increasedsusceptibility todiseasesIn sectorsIncreased intenserains, cyclonesWater/air pollutionInefficientirrigation systemsDisasterpreparedness andmanagementHealthyecosystems,biodiversityFood securityResilience, health,human capitalRationale: As water supply and its timing becomemore uncertain, water management becomes moreimportant.Figure 5.1. Framework for addressing cross-sectoral issues and realizing co-benefits. Therelationships among the drivers of glacial melt, threats, and issues to be addressed areillustrated by the top graphic, and an example of how to consider cross-sectoral projectswith multiple benefits is illustrated by the bottom graphic.52
Central Asian Republics. Like the Indus River Basin, the entire region is arid, sowater supply – and any changes – are extremely important under any circumstances.Water management infrastructure problems are at least a partial legacy of the SovietUnion. Recent years have seen conflicts between upstream countries that have abundantwater and downstream countries with water needs, e.g., for irrigation.5.1 RESPONDING TO THE CHALLENGE OF LACK OF INFORMATIONThe recognition of a severe knowledge gap detailed in Section 2 raises the urgent need toimprove cross-boundary scientific collaboration and cooperation. Water resources managementand planning in the watersheds of High Asia are by nature transboundary. Glaciers are found inthe high mountains of India, China, Nepal, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan,and Kyrgyzstan—but the health of the glaciers and stability of the high-altitude hydrologicregime are of concern to every country in the region. Therefore, regional cooperation andcollaboration are essential in order to plan for optimal and fair water use under both currentand future conditions. Such programs should demonstrate for policymakers that transboundaryscientific cooperation is essential to accurately assess regional climate change impacts, includingaccelerated glacier melt.A corresponding need is to expand and strengthen capacity to monitor glaciers and hydrologicchanges across High Asia in order to answer questions about mass balances, rates of change andtheir determinants, and the role of black carbon, among other questions. Effective monitoring ofclimate and water resources over large mountainous regions requires the capability tocharacterize conditions across variable and complex terrain. Many of the knowledge gapsregarding relationships among weather, climate, hydrology, and water consumption existbecause of inadequate monitoring. Such knowledge gaps can lead to predictions that are basedon false assumptions, resulting in poorly informed planning. While some critical data can beacquired by satellite remote sensing, many essential parameters must be obtained bymeasurements on the ground, both automated and manual. Community-based observationsoffer a way to both involve communities and to build, at low cost, both capacity on the groundand observational data sets. Researchers also need to present data and associated analysis in aformat that is both understandable and useful to policy makers as well as to the many otherstakeholders involved in planning and implementing climate change mitigation and adaptationpolicies and programs.5.1.1. Focus on Improving Regional Scientific Cooperation on Glacier, Snowpackand Water Resources in High AsiaUSAID can design a program or programs of regional knowledge-sharing and scientific capacitybuildingthat will lead to comprehensive and effective solutions to water resource problems,including changes in the amount and timing of glacier meltwater. The aim is to establishsustainable mechanisms for scientific cooperation.53
Page 5 and 6:
Changing Glaciers and Hydrology in
Page 7 and 8:
AcknowledgementsThe diversity of in
Page 9:
NGOOFDAPAIREDDRH/FPRIMESRDMASPOT5SR
Page 12 and 13: elevation, retreats. Measuring the
Page 14 and 15: Potential for Cross-Sectoral, Multi
Page 16 and 17: 7. More efficient, climate-change-r
Page 18 and 19: An outcome of this process was incr
Page 20 and 21: changing ecosystems and land-use pa
Page 23 and 24: SECTION 2GLACIERS AND HYDROLOGIC CH
Page 25 and 26: complex and time consuming, so only
Page 27 and 28: The World Glacier Monitoring Servic
Page 29 and 30: and a decrease in the summer/winter
Page 31 and 32: alance. Berthier et al. (2007) comp
Page 33 and 34: forcing (climate change) (Ramanatha
Page 35 and 36: contribution, compared to total run
Page 37: These concerns are mirrored in the
Page 40 and 41: Human health and ecosystem impacts
Page 42 and 43: Glaciers are also an important sour
Page 44 and 45: and China (Figure 3.13 on page28).
Page 46 and 47: Figure 3.13. Projections of water s
Page 48 and 49: uncertainties about water availabil
Page 50 and 51: River Basin) include southern Kazak
Page 52 and 53: in action and the Mekong River Comm
Page 54 and 55: exacerbate vulnerability on the gro
Page 56 and 57: Another major information gap in th
Page 59 and 60: SECTION 5APPROACHES TO ADDRESSING C
Page 61: is deposited on reflective glacier
Page 65 and 66: and snow water equivalent) and sate
Page 67 and 68: serious food security problems in P
Page 69 and 70: Another dimension of water manageme
Page 71 and 72: increased attention to WASH interve
Page 73 and 74: development that predispose areas t
Page 75 and 76: Demographic and socioeconomic facto
Page 77 and 78: a. Strengthen the capacity of commu
Page 79: carbon on young children. Appropria
Page 82 and 83: 4. Improved regional cooperation (t
Page 85 and 86: REFERENCESADB and IFPRI [Asian Deve
Page 87 and 88: IPCC [Intergovernmental Panel on Cl
Page 89 and 90: ased on Chinese Glacier Inventory a
Page 91: APPENDIX ATASK 2 DATABASEThe databa
Page 95 and 96: Current Work on Issues Related to G
Page 109: Appendix A.2Summary by Region
Page 112 and 113:
Current Work on Issues Related to G
Page 114 and 115:
Page 117 and 118:
Page 119:
show all

Changing Glaciers and Hydrology in Asia - Environmental Health at ...

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?