Launch of IYGP 2025 - Online Side Events Panel on “Tackling Glacial Melt and Water Challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: A Science Diplomacy Approach for Regional Cooperation”
Background
In December 2022, the UN General Assembly adopted the resolution to declare 2025 as the International Year of Glaciers' Preservation, accompanied by the proclamation of the 21st of March of each year as the World Day for Glaciers starting in 2025. This initiative seeks to raise global awareness of the critical role of glaciers, snow, and ice in the climate system and the economic, social, and environmental impacts of the impending changes in the Earth’s cryosphere. To kick off the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025, a high-level launch event will take place on 21 January 2025 in Geneva, Switzerland, and online. This launch event aims to raise awareness, stimulate action, and attract funding for further implementation.
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is home to some of the world's most critical glacier systems. These systems sustain major rivers like the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus, supporting the livelihoods of over 1.5 billion people. However, climate change, accelerating glacial melt, and the increasing frequency of extreme water events pose severe risks to water security, ecosystems, and regional stability. Practical transboundary cooperation is essential to address these shared challenges and build resilience for the shared river systems.
The side event aligns with the International Year of Glaciers’ Preservation 2025 (IYGP 2025) initiative, which leverages global momentum to spotlight innovative, cooperative approaches to secure water resources in the HKH region. It aims to address the challenges of accelerated glacial melt and climate change through science-based, collaborative approaches.
Objectives
•Highlight the critical interdependence between the cryosphere, water security, and regional stability.
•Promote regional cooperation on transboundary water management in response to shrinking glaciers by leveraging science diplomacy
•Share actionable strategies, including science-based assessments, nature-based solutions, financing models, and policy recommendations
Program (60 minutes)
Webinar Introduction
Ms. Yumiko Asayama, Chief Manager, Japan Water Forum c/o APWF Secretariat Opening Remarks
Dr. Shahbaz Khan, APWF Vice Governing Council Chair c/o Director of the UNESCO Office in Beijing and UNESCO Representative to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Japan, Mongolia, People’s Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea
Remarks
Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD
Keynote Presentation (10 mins)
Dr. Arun B. Shrestha, Strategic Group Lead, ICIMOD
Panel Discussion (Including Q&A) ( 45 mins)
Panelists:
Ms. Bushra Nishat, Environmental Specialist, Bangladesh - World Bank
Dr. Anamika Barua, Professor, Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, India
Prof. A. P. Dimri, Director, Indian Institute of Geomagnetism
Dr. Muhammad Arif Goheer, Executive Director, Global Climate-Change Impact Studies Centre (GCISC), Pakistan
Dr Anil Mishra, Chief of Section, Hydrological Systems, Climate Change and Adaptation, Intergovernmental Hydrological Programme (IHP), Division of Water Sciences, UNESCO
Dr. Sanjay Srivastava, Chief of Disaster Risk Reduction, ESCAP
Moderator: Dr. Faisal M. Qamer, Intervention Manager, Resilient River Basins, ICIMOD
Closing Remarks:
Dr. Shahbaz Khan
