HKH Rivers Outcome Document

The HKH Rivers Outcome Document synthesises key insights from the regional workshop “Water and Climate Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Advancing the 2030 Agenda through Science and Cooperation,” held on 4–5 December 2025 in Kathmandu. Bringing together government representatives, scientists, basin networks, civil society, and youth, the document highlights the mounting climate–water risks facing nearly two billion people dependent on the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins. It underscores the urgency of addressing rapid cryosphere loss, intensifying multi-hazard events, ecosystem degradation, increasing social vulnerability, and the high costs of non-cooperation. The Outcome Document outlines evidence-based pathways for strengthened river basin governance, inclusive and science-driven cooperation, resilient infrastructure, Nature-based Solutions, and enhanced regional-to-global alignment of SDG 6, 11, and 13 processes. It provides actionable recommendations to inform APFSD 2026, Voluntary National Reviews, the High-Level Political Forum, and the 2026 UN Water Conference.