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‘Ecosystem Services’, defined as “the benefits people obtain from ecosystems” is an evolving concept that connects ecosystem with human wellbeing through provisioned services
. Safeguarding ecosystems is one of the Aichi Targets (Target 14) for biodiversity conservation under the Convention on Biological Diversity. These services can be categorized as supporting services that uphold living conditions, such as soil formation and nutrient cycling; provisioning services that contribute to livelihoods and the economy, such as food and water; regulating services that aid regulation of ecosystem processes, such as regulation of floods, drought, land degradation, disease, etc.; cultural services that provide nonmaterial benefits, such as recreation, religious, or spiritual and historical sites. Since ecosystem services are not sufficiently understood and prized (in pecuniary terms), they are unappreciated and do not register with many policy makers. On the other hand, the demand for ecosystem goods and services is growing due to an increasing human population and globalization. When beneficiaries are obsessed with short-term economic growth and are less concerned with nature, mainstream decision making is less inclined to incorporate ecosystem services in conservation. Resource users will not respond to the degradation of ecosystem services in their resource management decisions until and unless these services are assessed and their values recognized. The diverse ecosystems found in Nepal are the major sources of ecosystem services supporting more than 70% of the rural communities directly. The low-income economy is highly dependent on ecosystem services and other natural capital, including tourism. It is estimated that the total contribution of environment-related income to the country’s economy may be over 50%. Agriculture, combined with forestry and fisheries, accounts for more than 38% of the country’s GDP. About 80 to 90% of the population is dependent on forests and subsistence agriculture for their rural livelihoods. Significant portions of the power, water, manufacturing, trade, and tourism sectors are also dependent on the environment in one form or another. It is estimated that the forestry sector alone contributes 15% to the GDP of the country. Similarly, non-timber forest products contribute about 5% of GDP. Tourism, much of which is nature-based, provides about 2% of the total GDP and about 25% of the total foreign exchange earnings. Therefore, the wise management of ecosystems and natural resources can be a key to sustainable economic development and poverty alleviation strategies in Nepal. There is an urgent need to comprehend the complexities of the ecosystems and the bio-socio-economics related to its management so that appropriate policies and strategies can be developed to address emerging threats to ecosystems and to enhance services to benefit both nature and humans alike. The Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalaya (Himalica) initiative is aimed at supporting poor and vulnerable mountain communities in the HKH to mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts through collaborative action research and pilot activities. The objective is to help build the capacity of institutions working on resilience to climate-induced vulnerability, which will subsequently improve the livelihoods of the mountain communities in the HKH. However, it is assumed that adaptive capacity can only be attained when the value of the ecosystem services provided by mountain communities to themselves and those downstream is understood, recognized, and maintained. Thus, ICIMOD in collaboration with BCN and with financial support from European Union conducted an assessment of the ecosystem services in Rauta VDC, Udayapur District, Nepal. The report highlights integrated ideas and scenarios of the state and dynamics of ecological, socioeconomic, and livelihood aspects of the study area. It also summarizes people’s perceptions on climate change scenarios and potential impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem services, and their livelihoods. It highlights the overuse of resources, with an emphasis on land use and land cover change, and discusses the factors affecting people’s vulnerability, including adaptive capacity, livelihood options, and adaptation practices adopted by local communities in response to environmental and socioeconomic changes. Finally, the report develops knowledge products to share and ensure mainstreaming for the effective planning and management of ecosystems
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Recent studies have helped enhance the understanding of adaptation to climate change
. It is increasingly seen as adjustments in ecological, social, and economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts. Resilience is now recognized, much more than adaptation. In resilient systems, people actually ‘do well’ despite changing conditions, including in conditions attributable to climate change. Field studies in Kavre conducted under Resilient Mountain Village (RMV) by CEAPRED in partnership with ICIMOD have identified some climate resilient technologies that help people achieve wellbeing by building their resilience against vulnerabilities
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One of the world’s Global 200 ecoregions and a freshwater biodiversity hotspot, Inle Lake is the in the top 10 most popular tourism destinations in Myanmar
. The lake was formed 1.5 million years ago and is the second largest lake in Myanmar after Indawgyi. It is also a major source of hydropower for southern Myanmar. The remnant elongated lake is aligned on a north-south axis. Although the documentation of the flora and fauna of Inle Lake is limited, there are a number of records available from the early 20th Century and research interest has increased in the lake in recent years. The diverse fauna that inhabit the lake and its surrounding include species that are listed as critically endangered, vulnerable, or nearly threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Many of the species of mammals and endemic fishes that inhabit the lake are listed in the IUCN red List. The lake is famous for its floating gardens, which are based on hydroponic cultivation. Plants from the families Gramineae and Cyperaceae, form tightly interwoven beds of running stems, roots, rhizomes, and hair-like roots, creating water mattresses that contain large blocks of rich organic soil. Major crops like tomatoes and beans are grown here hydroponically. The lake also supports livelihoods of fishermen (famous for their one-leg rowing technique), as well as numerous local businesses including tourism and agriculture
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The Upper Indus Basin Network and Indus Forum Collaboration Meeting, a joint workshop, was conducted from 22–25 May 2017
. A majority of the participants came from Afghanistan, China, India, and Pakistan, countries that share the transboundary Indus River Basin. Among the participants were senior government officials from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and several international organizations. The key objective of the joint meeting was to synergize the efforts of institutions and individuals affiliated to the Upper Indus Basin Network (UIB-N) and the Indus Forum (IF) to generate and share knowledge on adaptation, climate, the cryosphere, water, and hazards and vulnerability; and support national governments in developing evidence-based policies to serve inhabitants of the Indus Basin
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Bottom-up participatory planning is an ongoing practice within and outside government planning processes in the Hindu Kush Himalaya
. Community-led micro-planning begins at the grassroots level. Ideally it influences higher level planning and represents grassroots population in the decision-making process. Many communities have become more vulnerable and face greater risks due to climate and other changes including development interventions driven by outsiders. Community people have few options and limited capacity to cope with and adapt to current and future threats. Most countries in the developing world including Bhutan have recognized this challenge and the need to devise local strategies and solutions through bottom-up participatory planning processes. Community-led micro-planning is part of the strategy of the Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation Programme (Himalica) of ICIMOD to ensure the sustainability of pilot interventions by fostering local leadership and people’s participation
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The HICAP regional workshop on ‘Adaptation Outlook for the Hindu Kush Himalaya’ brought together experts, policymakers, researchers and practitioners working on climate change policies in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) countries
. The two-day event sought to lay the groundwork for a region-wide assessment of existing adaptation policies in different sectors as well as critical policy gaps and opportunities. The assessment incorporated feedback from policy experts invited to the workshop on climate change adaptation in mountain regions, with a particular focus on relevant policies and institutions
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The overarching recognition in all the literature is that climate change will have huge and largely detrimental impacts on vulnerable communities, and that gender will be a defining feature in shaping individuals’ experiences of adverse circumstances
. However, there is to date little research on how actual and potential climate change impacts are and will affect women and men, on adaptive capacities at community or household levels, and on the ways in which gender and social differences are expressed in and reflected through inequalities and discrimination in policies, institutions and practices
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This Kangchenjunga Landscape Feasibility Assessment Report presents the current socioeconomic and ecological scenario of the landscape
. It is based on the individual Feasibility Assessment Reports prepared through a consultative process by the three countries within the landscape, i.e., Bhutan, India and Nepal. This report also highlights the conservation and development priorities within the landscape, many of which can only be addressed through regional cooperation among the three countries
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The Support to Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalaya (Himalica) initiative aims to support poor and vulnerable mountain communities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) mitigate and adapt to climate change impacts through collaborative action research and pilot activities
. Research and pilot activities are expected to help build the capacities of institutions working on building and strengthening resilience to climateinduced vulnerability which will subsequently improve the livelihoods of mountain communities in the HKH. Adaptive capacity can be attained when the significance and value system of the services mountain ecosystems provide local communities and those living downstream are understood, maintained, and recognized. Visualizing such impacts, the Himalica initiative is implemented through five main activity areas: i) building capacity to formulate adapted policy, ii) expanding knowledge management, iii) strengthening collaborative action research, iv) piloting activities for climate change adaptation, and v) building overall capacity. After the completion of Ecosystem Services Assessments (ESAs) in Bhutan, Myanmar and Nepal in 2014 and 2015 as a part of strengthening collaborative action research, the ecosystem theme at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) further initiated assessments of ecosystem services in Bangladesh and Pakistan
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In the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), rural women manage natural resources and deal directly with the impacts and risks associated with climate change
. With more men migrating from rural areas, women’s roles as risk and resource managers need to be supported and strengthened.
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