World Water Week in Stockholm

The effects of climate change on water resources may have adverse consequences on the livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people. Furthermore, there is a knowledge gap in the scientific information that would be essential to develop measures for adaptation to climate change such as, the information on temperature and precipitation trends and on retreating glaciers and potential glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). To raise awareness of the climate and water scientists and the international community about it, ICIMOD organized the Thursday Afternoon Seminar during the World Water Week 2008 in Stockholm.

The seminar was addressed by distinguished scientists and policymakers from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan, both as speakers presenting country perspectives and as panelists over lively discussions with distinguished personalities in the audience.

The seminar and panel discussions were chaired and moderated by the Director General, Andreas Schild, and co-chaired by the Senior Visiting Scientist (IWHM), Ramesh Vaidya, both of ICIMOD. An overview of the situation in the Himalayan Water Towers was presented by the Senior Water Specialist at ICIMOD, Mats Eriksson, following the welcome speeches by the heads of ICIMOD and ICRAF-China, Xu Jianchu. The overview presentation was based on the paper ‘The Changing Himalayas’ distributed at the seminar.

The central message of the seminar is that there is little data and information on climate, hydrology and meteorology for the Himalayan region and this has hindered proper planning and decision-making for adaptation to climate change. Given the global ecological significance of the region and the risk to the livelihoods of its people that number more than a billion, it is essential to further regional cooperation among the countries in the region for the exchange of data and knowledge to create regional databases. In this context, ICIMOD is well positioned to play a role in capacity building for water-related information and knowledge management in the region.

Seminar Programme 13:30-17:00, Room K24

Chair Moderator: Dr Andreas Schild, Director General, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Nepal
Co-Chair: Dr Ramesh Vaidya, ICIMOD, Nepal

13.30	Welcome and Introduction Dr. Andreas Schild, Director General, ICIMOD, Nepal, and Prof Xu Jianchu, Country Representative, ICRAF-China
13.40	Himalayan Water Towers – Resources Under Threat? Closing the Knowledge Gap on Status and Trends of Water Resources in the Himalaya Dr. Mats Eriksson, ICIMOD, Nepal
14.00	Tibetan Plateau and its Contribution to Regional Water Resources Prof. Xu Jianchu, ICRAF, China
14.15	Climate Change Impact on Glaciers and Water Resources of Pakistan Dr. Rakhshan Roohi, Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI), National Agriculture Research Centre, Pakistan (tbc)
14.30	Coping with Uncertainty: Subaltern Innovations and Adaptations to Climate induced Water Stress with Specific Examples from Nepal Himalaya and Their Policy Implications Mr. Dipak Gyawali, Nepal Academy of Science and Technology, Nepal
14.45	Coffee Break
15.15	Impacts of Climate Change on the Water Resources and Hydropower of Bhutan H.E. Dasho Sonam Tshering, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Bhutan
15.30	Potential of Cooperation, Perils of Conflict H.E. Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament, India
15.45	Impact of Climate Change on Water related Disasters and Water Resources Management in Bangladesh Mr. Quamrul Siddique, Bangladesh Water Partnership, Bangladesh
16.00	Panel Discussion – How Can We Meet Future Challenges?
17.00	Close of Seminar

Presentation from the event

Please scroll down and find the link from the programme