The new climate reality of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is visible across three paradigms: thresholds being crossed as climate change accelerates cascading risks; pronounced inequalities in the adaptive and response capacities of communities across the region; and the growing need for data-driven, impact-based decisions that will determine the success of response measures.
The World Meteorological Organisation’s latest report focusing on Asia’s climate reveals some startling indicators about the changing climate. Along with dipping snow cover, there is mention of record breaking temperatures, negative mass balance seen in 23 glaciers across High Mountain Asia. A silver lining is the success seen in early warning systems providing life-saving alerts for flood-prone communities.
With wetter and hotter extremes, and looming threat of intensifying disasters, HKH needs impact-based early warning systems