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

insecure food supply, etc.) need to build adaptive capacity to uncertain hydrologic changes fromclimate change. This “no regrets” approach to vulnerability also promotes general developmentand improved well-being.5.2.1 Focus on Improving the Management of Water ResourcesA growing Asian population, with the associated increased demand for both water and food, isputting stress on water supplies in Asian river basins, especially downstream from glaciatedareas. Clearly, there is a need for long-term improvements in water management as problemsassociated with both quality and quantity become more acute and the potential negative impactsof accelerated glacier melt become a reality. Land degradation (due to soil salinity, deterioratedirrigations systems, or nutrient depletion), deforestation, transboundary river basins with theirinherent conflicts between upstream and downstream users, competition for water resourcesfrom growing cities and industries, increasing demand for water, and several other factors addto the complexity yet necessity of taking an integrated approach to management of water acrossmany sectors of society.The agriculture sector is the largest water user and plays a critical role in the economic andsocial lives of millions of people. Thus, special regard should be given to programs that improvethe efficiency of water use forcrop and livestock production.Effective programs ofassistance can be implementedfor water on the nationalpolicy level, the level of thewater district as defined by anexisting irrigation and drainagearea, and the level of the farmfield through improvedagronomic practices with awater efficiency focus. Thegoal is to develop the capacityof institutions that managewater so that they can workon a wide range of issues—including issues related toaccelerated glacier melt. Thecommon thread that ties all ofthe suggested interventionstogether is the improvedwater management of bothground and surface waterwhen used for irrigation or forhousehold purposes.Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forestDegradation (REDD) ProgramAt the December 2009 Conference of the Parties to the UNFCCC inCopenhagen, the parties drafted the REDD program as part of theCopenhagen Accord, although significant questions related to its designand implementation must be resolved. Challenges include financingmechanisms, capacities and methodologies for monitoring, reportingand verification, the role of local participation, livelihood effects,permanence, and leakages. However, the program is important, notleast because it has been initiated principally by developing countriesand has large financial implications, as it will pay countries to preserveand restore their forests.As part of REDD, developing nations may be eligible for funds from thesale of carbon credits, as well as from other sources, in order toenhance sustainable forest practices. To qualify for the program,participating countries need to have the necessary capacity to meetprogram requirements and standards for collecting forest data in theareas of monitoring, reporting and verification. USAID can provideeffective assistance to countries preparing for REDD participation byproviding direct technical assistance. Such assistance could strengthennational institutions so that they can improve data collection systems,establish baselines on forest inventories, estimate carbon emissions andother data, and fulfill all reporting requirements.58