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Category: Cryosphere and water

14 August 2025
Drought in the grain basket: A silent agricultural crisis in Nepal’s Madhesh Province 

In Nepal’s Madhesh Province, widely known as the nation’s ‘Grain Basket’, an unprecedented monsoon failure in July 2025 has led to a severe drought, disrupting rice transplantation and threatening food security. ICIMOD’s Earth Observation analysis reveals over 40% of rice fields under stress, with potential losses of up to 450,000 metric tons, posing a nationwide economic and food crisis.

11 August 2025
Born to Drown? Floods, climate extremes, and a call for action from Madhesh

The Lal Bakaiya River in Nepal’s Madhesh Province is no stranger to floods, as rising riverbeds, degraded Chure hills, and unplanned development turn monsoon rains into prolonged disasters. ICIMOD is strengthening local resilience through Community-Based Early Flood Warning Systems (CBFEWS) and innovative gamification of preparedness training, making life-saving knowledge accessible and engaging for all. Combined with integrated watershed management efforts, these initiatives aim to tackle the region’s ‘Too Much Too Little’ water crisis and break the cycle of recurring floods.

11 August 2025
Journal of a climate scientist: a chance encounter with a Himalayan Marmot and permafrost nexus

Marmots spend most of the winter hibernating in their burrows, which need to remain dry and insulated from extreme cold and frozen ground. This behaviour suggests several possible relationships between marmots and permafrost.

13 June 2025
Hotter, wetter summer monsoon forecast underscores urgency of early warnings

With wetter and hotter extremes, and looming threat of intensifying disasters, HKH needs impact-based early warning systems

12 May 2025
Building resilience: Tackling multi-hazard risks in the Hindu Kush Himalaya and beyond

From fishermen risking their lives at sea, to farmers fearing the loss of their land and homes, to entire villages grappling with the long-term economic and psychological toll of recurring disasters – cyclones continue to reshape the daily realities of communities in Bangladesh.

5 May 2025
Marching towards multi-hazard risks in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

With climate change accelerating, disasters are no longer isolated events across the globe. In the […]

30 April 2025
How can scientific cooperation support resilient hydropower development in the HKH region?

The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, with its towering peaks and dynamic landscapes, presents both opportunities and challenges for hydropower development.

2 April 2025
Indigenous knowledge from a yak herder: uncovering the possible linkages between permafrost and cordyceps

Mountain air was crisp and piercing, despite the midday sun shining bright above us. As […]

31 March 2025
Forest Fires in Nepal: The Unseen Threat of Droughts

Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and dry forests have doubled forest fire incidents in the past decade in Nepal with 2025 projected to be the worst year.

14 March 2025
Integrated River Basin Management in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: emphasising a multi-scale approach

With 261 transboundary river basins covering 45% of the Earth’s land surface, and 19 of […]

24 February 2025
Bridging waters – harnessing science diplomacy for climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Experts from major river basin countries and international organisations discuss a variety of topics including regional cooperation, sustainable water management, and the role of science diplomacy in addressing the interconnected challenges of the HKH region.

10 February 2025
In southern Nepal, 13 municipalities unite to fund Community-Based Flood Early Warning System

In May 2024, ICIMOD brokered a cooperative agreement between at-risk municipalities to setup a basket fund for an early warning system.

11 December 2024
HKH Women on Ice Daily Blogs
30 October 2024
Glacier diaries: Hailuogou Glacier, China   

The Hailuogou Glacier is located in Luding County of China’s Sichuan Province. The Hailuogou Glacier Forest Park, the only glacier-forest park in China...

8 October 2024
Countries come together to build region’s readiness for risk 

Nepali and Bhutanese disaster management officials share knowledge and conduct emergency simulation drill with Pakistani counterparts at first-of-its-kind learning exchange in Islamabad

7 October 2024
Advancing environmental protection and sustainable development in the Hindu Kush Himalaya 

Balancing protection and development Mountains are crucial for ecological protection, serving as vital reservoirs of […]

19 September 2024
The Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra River Basin: building shared benefits and responsibilities across borders

The newly formed ‘Yarlung Zangbo-Brahmaputra River Basin Network’ seeks to strengthen transboundary cooperation to overcome significant challenges in the region and achieve sustainable development in the region.

17 September 2024
From Cryosphere to Coast: Policy Action Dialogue tackles Climate Change Impacts on the Third Pole and Mountain Ecology

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), in collaboration with the Ministry of Climate […]

10 September 2024
Climate-resilient hydropower development in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: A race against climate change

Sometimes known as ‘the water tower of Asia’, the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region also […]

31 July 2024
Building inclusive disaster resilience: ensuring no-one is left behind

Viewing disaster risk reduction through a GEDSI lens: actions and tools to make DRR accessible and inclusive to all

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