The Indus River Basin, shared among 300 million people of Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate change. Glaciers and snow contribute to more than 40 percent of its annual flow. Given that the glaciers feeding the Indus are receding faster than those in many other parts of the world, it is evident that South Asia’s future economic growth and security will rely substantially on how well the riparian countries are able to adapt to climate change impact and manage their shared water resources.

It is with this understanding that a delegation from South Asia comprising government officials, academics and environment experts from Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan undertook a joint study tour to Ecuador. The idea was to learn about the Adaptation to the Rapid Impact of Glacier Retreat in the Tropical Andes Project (PRAA) and share knowledge on innovative approaches to water

aIn a bid to foster regional cooperation around managing water resources, government officials and academics from four South Asian countries that share the waters of the Indus (Afghanistan, China, India and Pakistan) undertook a joint study tour to Ecuador this January

aThe purpose was to learn about climate change and glacier monitoring from the Andean experience

aUnderstanding glaciers is crucial for both Andean as well as South Asian countries, given that economic development across both geographies is dependent on water resources that are nourished by glaciers

resources management and regional glacier monitoring in order to address climate change challenges.

“Joining hands and working together to manage our glaciers is the key to social and economic prosperity in the region,” said Mr. B. George Verghese from the Center for Policy Research in New Delhi, who was a part of the visiting delegation.

Managing Glacierized Basins

Story Highlights

The Ecuadorian Experience

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Drawing parallels between the tropical Andes and the Hindu Kush-Karakorum-Himalaya (HKH) region, Dr. Leena Srivastava, Vice Chancellor, TERI University, added, “Just like the communities in the tropical Andes region, the population of the Indus basin is also heavily dependent on glacier-fed water resources systems for economic development.”

PRAA is supported by the World Bank and is currently being implemented in Bolivia, Ecuador and Peru. It has played an important role in supporting the governments of these countries in their leadership on the climate change adaptation agenda. Environment Specialist with the World Bank and team leader for PRAA, Mr. Daniel Mira-Salama said, “Climate change is seriously threatening these basins’ capacity to regulate flows, thus imposing several common challenges for sectors such as water supply, irrigation or hydropower.”

The study tour included a visit to Antisana Glacier, whose monitoring stations, installed at over 4,000 meters above sea level, are the highest in Ecuador and amongst the very few located near and directly above the glacier surface. These stations, integrated into a network aimed at monitoring glacier conditions and behavior, collect valuable information on atmospheric conditions and help scientists learn more about the relationship between climate and the resulting water balance. The delegation also visited

some of the on-the-ground adaptation activities being implemented under the leadership of Ecuador’s Ministry of Environment, such as “páramo” (high Andean moorland) protection and restoration, and integrated water resources management practices.

Emphasizing the global implications of managing the glaciated zones of the Indus basin, Prof. Jian Tong from the China Meteorological Department said, “These glaciers comprise 17 percent of the world’s total glacial area, improved monitoring systems in the Upper Indus basin are bound to have potential benefits on a much wider global scale.”

South Asia Water InitiativePublic Information Center, Hindustan Times Building18-20 Kasturba Gandhi Marg, New Delhi 110 001www.southasiawaterinitiative.org

Fostering Cooperation Through the South Asia Water Initiative

The study tour was supported by the South Asia Water Initiative (SAWI), a multi-donor partnership among the World Bank and the governments of the United Kingdom (through DFID), Australia and Norway. SAWI promotes regional cooperation in the management of the Greater Himalayan River systems to deliver sustainable, fair and inclusive development and climate resilience in the seven countries sharing these mighty rivers: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal and Pakistan.

Learning from theAndean Example