1Introduction to the Hindu Kush HimalayaAssessment

Coordinating Lead AuthorEklabya Sharma, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal,e-mail: eklabya.sharma@icimod.org (corresponding author)

Lead AuthorsDavid Molden, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal,e-mail: david.molden@icimod.orgAtiq Rahman, Bangladesh Centre for Advanced Studies, Dhaka, Bangladesh,e-mail: atiq.rahman@bcas.netYuba Raj Khatiwada, Ministry of Finance, Govt. of Nepal, Kathmandu, Nepal,e-mail: dryubaraj@gmail.comLinxiu Zhang, International Ecosystem Management Partnership, United Nations Environment Programmeand Center for Chinese Agricultural Policy, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,e-mail: linxiu.zhang@un.orgSurendra Pratap Singh, Central Himalayan Environment Association, Nainital, India,e-mail: surps@yahoo.comTandong Yao, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China,e-mail: tdyao@itpcas.ac.cnPhilippus Wester, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal,e-mail: philippus.wester@icimod.org

Note: All authors are HIMAP Steering Committee Members, except Philippus Wester, who is HIMAPCoordinator

Corresponding AuthorEklabya Sharma, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal,e-mail: eklabya.sharma@icimod.org

© ICIMOD, The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2019P. Wester et al. (eds.), The Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment,https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-92288-1_1

1

Contents1.1 Global Mountain Perspective ............................................................................................................ 2

1.2 The Hindu Kush Himalaya—A Global Asset ................................................................................. 3

1.3 Key Issues of the HKH ...................................................................................................................... 5

1.4 Overall Objective, Rationale and Key Questions ........................................................................... 5

1.4.1 Overall Objective........................................................................................................................ 5

1.4.2 Rationale for the Assessment ..................................................................................................... 5

1.4.3 Key Questions ............................................................................................................................ 6

1.5 Vision.................................................................................................................................................... 6

1.6 HKH Priorities Contributing to the Sustainable Development Goals.......................................... 7

1.7 Conceptual Framing of the Assessment ........................................................................................... 7

1.8 Assessment Process ............................................................................................................................. 15

1.9 Outline of the Assessment .................................................................................................................. 15

References ..................................................................................................................................................... 15

1.1 Global Mountain Perspective

Mountains are large landforms raised above the surface ofthe earth emerging into peaks and ranges. Mountains occupy22% of the world’s land surface area and are home to about13% of the world’s population (FAO 2015). While about915 million people live in mountainous region, less than 150million people live above 2,500 m above sea level (masl),and only 20–30 million people live above 3,000 masl.

About half of all humankind directly depends on mountainresources, primarily water. Mountains support 25% of world’sterrestrial biodiversity and include nearly half of the world’sbiodiversity ‘hotspots’. Of the 20 plant species that supply80% of the world’s food, six of those (apples, barley, maize,potatoes, sorghum and tomatoes) originated in mountains(Fleury 1999). In humid parts of the world, mountains provide30–60% of the fresh water downstream; and in semi-arid andarid environments, they provide 70–95% (Kapos et al. 2000;WCMC-UNEP 2002). Mountains provide goods and servicesof global significance in the form of water, hydroelectricity,timber, biodiversity and niche products, mineral resources,recreation, and flood management (Schild and Sharma 2011;Molden and Sharma 2013). Mountains are more diverseregion rich in ethnicity and languages. In general, poverty ishigher in mountain regions and people are often at higher riskthan people elsewhere. According to a recent FAO analysis,39% of mountain populations (urban and rural combined) indeveloping countries were considered vulnerable to foodinsecurity in 2012, an increase of 30% compared to 12 yearsprior (FAO 2015).

Mountain geological formations are fragile and ecosys-tems are degrading fast because of both natural andanthropogenic drivers of change. Mountains are also placesof cultural meaning and refuge. Many mountain inhabitantshave settled there to escape religious or political persecutionor wars in lowlands. Mountains are also often focal areas ofarmed conflict. Mountain areas have ecological, aesthetic,and socioeconomic significance, not only for people livingthere, but for those living beyond—especially those in thelowlands who benefit from the ecological services mountainsprovide. Thus, mountains, in one perspective, stand as someof the planet’s last natural ‘islands’ in a sea of increasinglyanthropogenic influenced lowlands, providing a number ofsignificant ecological functions extending beyond mountainregions (Hamilton 2002).

Mountains also represent unique areas for detecting climatechange and assessing climate change impacts (Nogues-Bravoet al. 2008; Dyuergerov and Meier 2005). As climate changesrapidly through elevation over relatively short horizontal dis-tances, so do hydrology, vegetation, ecological conditions, andsocio-economic settings (Whiteman 2000; Xu and Melick2006). This rapid change over distance, in turn, also influencescultural values and societies. In this way, it is important torecognise the complexities of environment-society interactions—culture and environment are mutually reciprocating systems.

The increasing awareness of climate change impacts onmountains, mountain ecosystems, and mountain commu-nities have started drawing attention to mountains duringinternational debates such as the United Nations Conferenceon Environment and Development in Rio de Janeiro in 1992,

2 E. Sharma et al.

the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015, theParis Agreement 2015 of the United Nations FrameworkConvention on Climate Change, and the SustainableDevelopment Goals (SDGs) and Targets 2030. There shouldbe more pursuits for mountain perspectives to form anintegral part in any discussions about future plans for sus-tainable development in the context of climate change. Thatmeans not just highlighting the vulnerabilities and fragilitiesinherent to mountain locations, but also emphasizing theresilience and strength that mountain people and commu-nities bring when seeking to deal with these challenges.

1.2 The Hindu Kush Himalaya—A GlobalAsset

A critically important geo-ecological asset, the Hindu KushHimalaya (HKH) is the origin of 10 major river basins andencompasses over 4.2 million km2 area (Bajracharya andShrestha 2011; Bajracharya et al. 2015) (Fig. 1.1). This HKHarea and Tien Shan mountains together form the largest areaof permanent ice cover outside of the North and South Poles(hence, the occasional reference to the HKH as the “ThirdPole”) and is home to four global biodiversity hotspots, 330important bird areas (Chettri et al. 2008), and hundreds ofmountain peaks over 6,000 m. The region provides

ecosystem services (e.g., water, food, energy) that directlysustain the livelihoods of 240 million people in the mountainand hills of the HKH. Nearly 1.9 billion people living in the10 river basins also benefit directly and indirectly from itsresources (see Box 1.1), while more than 3 billion peopleenjoy the food produced in its river basins. The region is alsohome to some of the most diverse cultures, languages, reli-gions, and traditional knowledge systems in the world.

Box 1.1 Population of the Hindu Kush Himalayaand the ten major rivers basins originating in theHindu Kush HimalayaBox Authors: Golam Rasul, Abid Hussain and SudipPradhan, ICIMOD

Based on the latest available government datasources and projections, in 2017 the population of themountain and hills of the Hindu Kush Himalaya isaround 240 million people (see Table 1.1). The totalpopulation in the ten major river basins with theirheadwaters in the HKH is around 1.9 billion, includingthe 240 million in the mountain and hills of the HKH(see Table 1.2).

The ethnic diversity and cultural wealth of the HKH extendfrom the Hindu Kush valleys in Afghanistan to the diverse hill

Fig. 1.1 The Hindu Kush Himalayan region and 10 major river basins

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 3

and mountain systems of Myanmar. Between these areas, wefind the arid and semi-arid regions of the Pamir and Kar-akoram mountains; the high Himalaya of India, Nepal, andPakistan; the un-spoilt beauty of Bhutan; the Tibetan Plateauof China; and the three parallel rivers of the Salween, Mekong

and Yangtze in the far eastern region located in YunnanProvince of China. The HKH features great heterogeneityfrom north to south and east to west in relation to precipita-tion, vegetation, and human livelihoods. This variability defymaking easy generalizations about the region.

Table 1.1 Population in the mountain and hills of the HKH

Countries Areas included in the HKH region Population of HKHin million (Year ofdata sources)

aPopulation in 2017(million)

aPopulation in 2030(million)

Afghanistan All provinces except the provinces of Kandahar,Helmand, Nimroz, Farah, and Herat

22.85(2016–17)

22.85c 29.91

Bangladesh Chittagong hills 1.60(2011)

1.78 2.27

Bhutan Entire territory 0.78b

(2017)0.78c 0.96

China Parts of the provinces of Yunnan (Diqing, Nujiangand Dali prefectures), Sichuan (Ganzi, Aba andLiangshan prefectures), and Gansu (Gannan,Wuwei and Zhangye prefectures); Xinjiangautonomous region (Kashigar, Kezilesu, Hetianand Altai prefectures); Tibet (entire territory), andQinghai province (entire territory)

32.51(2015)

33.29 38.86

India Entire territory of 11 mountain states (Assam,Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Manipur, Jammuand Kashmir (Indian administered area),Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura,Arunachal Pradesh), and Darjeeling andKalimpong districts of West Bengal state

76.98(2011)

86.27 110.44

Myanmar Chin, Shan, Rakhine and Kachin states 11.18(2014)

11.70 14.24

Nepal Entire territory 26.49(2011)

28.75 34.31

Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, 24 districts (out of32) of Balochistan province (excluded districts areKachhi, Gwadar, Jafarabad, Jhal Magsi, Lasbelaand Sohbatpur), Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK),Gilgit-Baltistan and Federally administered TribalAreas (FATA)

51.47d

(2017)51.47 c 72.64

Total 223.86 236.90 303.63

NotesaExponential projections of populations. The periods of growth rate estimation for HKH areas were 2009–2017 (Afghanistan), 2001–2011(Bangladesh), 2010–2017 (Bhutan), 2011–2015 (China), 2001–2011 (India), 1983–2014 (Myanmar), 2001–2011 (Nepal), and 1998–2017(Pakistan). These growth rates are used to project populations for 2017 and 2030bProjected population for 2017 procured from Statistical Year Book of Bhutan, 2016cPopulation statistics for 2017 are directly collected from official sources of respective countries (Statistical Year Book of Bhutan 2016; PopulationCensus of Pakistan 2017; Statistical Year Book of Afghanistan 2016–17)dProjected population of Azad Jammu and Kashmir and Gilgit-Baltistan for 2017 was added to the population of HKH areas procured fromPopulation Census of Pakistan 2017Sources (1) Data for latest population statistics are collected from Statistical Year Book of Afghanistan 2016–17; Population and Housing Census(Bangladesh) 2011; Statistical Year Book of Bhutan 2016; Year Books of China, Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province, Gansu Province, XinjiangAutonomous Region (China) 2016; Population Census (India) 2011; Population and Housing Census of Myanmar 2014 (The Union Report,Volume 2); National Population and Housing Census of Nepal (national report) 2011; Population Census 2017; Govt. of AJK 2014; Govt. ofGilgit-Baltistan 2013(2) Data for Base Year population (used for growth rate estimation) collected from Statistical Year Book of Afghanistan 2008-09; Population andHousing Census (Bangladesh) 2001; Statistical Year Book of Bhutan, 2016; Year Books of China, Yunnan Province, Sichuan Province, GansuProvince, Xinjiang Autonomous Region (China) 2012; Population Census (India) 2001; Population and Housing Census of Myanmar 2014 (TheUnion Report, Volume 2); National Population and Housing Census of Nepal (national report) 2011; Population Census (Pakistan) 1998Assumptions for Projections In- and out-migration rates, fertility rate and mortality rate will remain stable

4 E. Sharma et al.

1.3 Key Issues of the HKH

This assessment considers the key issues in the HKH region inthe context of related questions that draws regional attention,cooperation and policy solutions. The HKH region is geolo-gically fragile, with young and rising mountains, usuallyvulnerable to erosion and landslides, even without humaninterference. The region is undergoing rapid change driven bystressors such as climate change and human conflicts, andfactors like globalization, infrastructure development,migration, tourism and urbanization. The outcome of inter-play of these complex drivers of change is challenging topredict but will have major consequences, not just in theregion but globally. There is a critical need to assess thesedrivers’ potential cost to the HKH environment and humanwellbeing as well as the opportunities they may present. Percapita fossil fuel CO2 emission from the HKH countries isone-sixth of the global average, however the region immen-sely suffers from the impact of climate change. Climatechange is further enhanced by short-lived climate pollutantssuch as black carbon, which is emitted in large quantities inregions upwind of the HKH where dirty energy sources alsohave a large impact on health. From a policy standpoint,achieving food, water, energy, and livelihood security in the

region will require exploring scenarios based on differentassumptions so that the scientific community, policy-makers,the private sector, and community stakeholders can cometogether and make optimal governance decisions to sustainthis global asset. It will also require country-specific recom-mendations to guide national-level policy-making.

1.4 Overall Objective, Rationale and KeyQuestions

1.4.1 Overall Objective

This assessment aims to (1) establish the global significanceof the HKH, (2) reduce scientific uncertainty on variousmountain issues, (3) lay out practical and up-to-date solutionsand offer new insights for development of this region,(4) value and conserve existing ecosystems, cultures, socie-ties, knowledge, and distinctive HKH solutions that areimportant to the rest of the world, (5) addresses contemporarypolicy questions, and (6) influence policy processes withrobust evidence for sustainable mountain development.

1.4.2 Rationale for the Assessment

An assessment is distinct from a review. Whereas researchspeaks to other scientists in a particular field, assessmentscritically evaluate current states of knowledge about a topicwith an aim to develop policy-oriented solutions, and informrelevant decision-makers across sectors. Assessments arestructured to address specific social problems by translatingscience into forms that are salient, legitimate, and credible towider audiences (Clark et al. 2006).Nevertheless, assessmentsalso give due importance to reducing scientific uncertainty.

An integral part of assessments is indicating the level ofconfidence that chapter teams have concerning key findings,based on the available data, evidence and peer-reviewedpublications. For the HIMAP Assessment it was decided tofollow the four-box model adopted by the IntergovernmentalScience-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and EcosystemServices (IPBES) for the qualitative communication ofconfidence, which juxtaposes the level of agreement with thequantity and quality of the evidence. In the Chapter Over-views the following four confidence terms are used, inbrackets and italics: (well established), (established butincomplete), (unresolved) and (inconclusive). For a keyfinding to be well established, the quantity and quality of theevidence is high as is the level of agreement. For incon-clusive both are low, while for unresolved multiple inde-pendent studies exist but the conclusions do not agree (lowlevel of agreement). Lastly, established but incomplete per-tains to findings where the general level of agreement is high

Table 1.2 Area and population of the ten major river basinsoriginating in the HKH

River basins aArea(km2)

bPopulation in2010 (million)

bPopulation in2015 (million)

Amu Darya 645,870 27.19 30.18

Brahmaputra 528,083 64.63 68.07

Ganges 1,001,090 539.43 580.09

Indus 1,116,350 244.31 268.42

Irrawaddy 426,393 40.18 42.87

Mekong 841,337 74.58 77.31

Salween 363,898 18.19 17.88

Tarim 929,254 10.65 11.37

Yangtze 2,066,050 600.92 604.94

YellowRiver

1,073,440 192.86 198.02

Total 8,991,765 1,812.95 1,899.14

NotesaThe area of individual basins have been calculated from basinboundary shapefile in Albers equal-area conic map projectiondeveloped by ICIMODbThe basin-wise population has been calculated from the “GriddedPopulation of the World adjusted to UN country level populationestimates for 2010 and 2015” dataset produced by the Center forInternational Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN), ColumbiaUniversity (http://sedac.ciesin.columbia.edu/data/collection/gpw-v4/united-nations-adjusted)

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 5

among experts, although only a limited number of studiesexist and the level of evidence is low to moderate.

The target audiences for this assessment are those whomake decisions on investments and management regardingmountain development, that is, policy-makers, governmentagencies, foundations, academics, natural resource managers,private-sector investors, and civil-society members. In addi-tion, our assessment aims to inform the general public aboutimportant mountain issues so that everyone can help to makebetter decisions through political processes in HKH countries.

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC’s) fourth assessment report (Pachauri and Reisinger2007) predicted that climate change will be the most promi-nent driver of global change in the 21st century and pointed tothe lack of consistent long-term monitoring in the HKH. Thereport called for national, regional, and global efforts to fillthis data gap. Little progress was made in the HKH by the timeof the IPCC’s fifth assessment report (Pachauri and Meyer2014). While universities, nongovernmental organizations,and scientific organizations have made strides in assemblingand consolidating data, information on environment, naturalresources and social systems of the HKH collectively remainstoo fragmented and incomplete to derive any meaningfulconclusions about trends and scenarios.

The Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and AssessmentProgramme (HIMAP), which brings together hundreds ofscientists and experts from the region and around the world,aims to address these knowledge gaps and propose a wayforward. This comprehensive assessment goes beyond cli-mate change and is expected to greatly assist efforts toaddress threats and act on opportunities, and gives impor-tance to upscale cutting-edge approaches. HIMAP derivesinspiration from the Arctic Monitoring and AssessmentProgramme, which has systematically generated meaningfuldata and analysis about key trends and future scenarios onenvironment and natural resources in the Arctic region.

1.4.3 Key Questions

A set of questions relevant for the assessment was developedfirst by nalysing the key issues of the HKH region. Theassessment was designed in a way that each chapter teamconsidered relevant questions in writing their chapters.HIMAP has considered the following critical questions:

• What are the most important drivers of change in theHKH, what is the role of climate change, and what aretheir potential impacts on biodiversity, ecosystem ser-vices, livelihoods, and water resources?

• What are the most important strategies, policies, andgovernance arrangements for enhancing communityadaptation to drivers of change, including climate

change; how can they be out-scaled; and what are theirimpacts?

• How do gender-equitable and inclusive approaches sup-port sustainable mountain development, and how canthese be realized?

• What migration trends exist in the region, what are theirpresent impacts on livelihoods and the environment, howclimate change is inducing migration and should migra-tion be taken as adaptive strategy, and what are theoptions for addressing migration and the likely con-sequences of those options?

• What is the existing status of the cryosphere, whatchanges are likely, and what are the possible impacts ofthose changes?

• What is the current and likely future quantity, variability,and quality of the water in the 10 major river basins ofthe HKH; what are the potential impacts of change onwater availability; and how can negative impacts bemitigated?

• What are the best means of reducing the risk of floodsand droughts, and how can they be introduced at variousscales, including on Transboundary Rivers?

• Why is air pollution increasing in the HKH, how is theHKH affected by air pollution from within and beyondthe HKH, and how can the problem be reduced?

• What are the energy needs and possibilities for the peopleof the HKH, what are the positive and negative impactsof hydropower development, how effective and safe ishydropower generation as an economic enterprise, andhow can hydropower best be sustainably developed inthe region?

• How can ecosystems be managed to support soil andbiodiversity conservation, and improved livelihoods inthe various contexts found in the HKH?

• What ecosystem services do mountains provide, and howcan management and supply of these services becompensated?

• What watershed-, landscape-, and forestry-basedapproaches will best support ecosystem services, foodand water security, and community resilience?

• How can the HKH develop a green economy? Whattechnologies (modern, traditional, and indigenous) andapproaches are best suited for sustainable mountaindevelopment in the region, and how can they be out-scaled?

1.5 Vision

The assessment foresaw the key issues of the region, drew13 critical questions for addressing the identified issues, andboth the issues and questions were used in formulating the

6 E. Sharma et al.

vision of the assessment: To enable a prosperous, peaceful,and poverty-free people; food, energy, environment andwater secure people; and climate- and disaster-resilientmountain communities for the region and the world.

(1) Prosperous—wellbeing in terms of productive anddignified, social (quality of life, social capital, heal-thy), cultural (identity plus integration), and environ-ment (clean air, water, pollution management, andhealthy natural resource base)

(2) Equality of access to opportunities and benefits ofresources for everyone regardless gender and socialclass

(3) Food security—healthy people with access to ade-quate, affordable, good quality and nutritious food

(4) Energy security—access to adequate amount ofenergy that is affordable, non-polluting and sustain-able, without unduly affecting the present low carbonstatus.

(5) Water security—access to quality, affordable water;and protection from extreme events such as floods anddroughts

(6) Vibrant and bio-diverse ecosystem services for peopleto support culture and economies; protection and wiseuse of ecosystem services

(7) Climate and disaster resilient communities andcountries; contributing to mitigation and adaptation;means—finance, capacity building, knowledge andtechnology

(8) Cooperation at all levels (people to people, businessto business, government to government) betweencountries for sustainable and mutual benefits toachieve vision

(9) Unrestricted people movement across the HKHcountries

(10) Recognition of the HKH region as a global asset.

1.6 HKH Priorities Contributing to theSustainable Development Goals

Considering the issues, questions and vision as part of thisassessment, we drafted our chapters and key messages inline with the United Nations’ Sustainable DevelopmentGoals (SDGs). In this way, our “Priorities for Mountains andPeople of the HKH” reflect the ideals and inspiration of theSDGs. We created this complementarity through a three-stepexercise:

(a) Define HKH priorities, align them with SDGs and referto relevant HIMAP assessment chapters;

(b) Define HKH specific targets for 2030;(c) Identify suitable indicators derived from the list of

proposed SDG indicators; and indicate data availability.

Table 1.3 lays out the relationship between HKH prio-rities and the SDG framework.

1.7 Conceptual Framing of the Assessment

The concept of the assessment was logically developed stepby step by framing of key issues, identifying critical questionsto address the issues and visioning of the exercise and iden-tifying nine priorities that could contribute to 2030 SDGs.

Our assessment addresses the environmental, economicand social pillars of sustainable mountain development andwill serve as a basis for evidence-based decision-making tosafeguard the environment and advance people’s wellbeing.This report will not be a one-time publication. It is plannedas the first of a series of monitoring and assessment reportsabout the HKH.

In spite of the vast expanse of mountains and theirimportance in the world, as a unique and exclusive landform, they have been largely ignored within better knownenvironmental assessments such as the IPCC and Millen-nium Ecosystem Assessment. In those assessments, moun-tains are not examined in detail: scientific knowledge isscattered and traditional indigenous knowledge systems aremostly absent. This assessment intends to fill these gaps andprovide information for improved decision making in andfor the HKH. HIMAP intends to provide a connection of thisregion in global assessments such as IPCC AR 6 and sub-sequent ones and IPBES, and intends to contribute to globaltargets like 2030 SDG goals, 1.5° World afterParis UNFCCC 2015 agreement and Sendai Framework forDisaster Risk Reduction 2015.

The assessment chapters consider status, trends and sce-narios on environmental, economic and social systems of theHKH region, and come up with recommendations that buildinto key policy messages. This assessment focuses on var-ious drivers of change all of which are influenced by impactsof climate change. Mountain people and ecosystems tend toexperience change more rapidly and with greater intensity.Mountain regions are no longer isolated from globalization.The HKH’s biodiverse resources, rich indigenous knowl-edge systems, and enormous reservoirs of water providevibrancy to the region and beyond. Understanding how thesefeatures may change over time is extremely important. Inresponse, we devote many pages of this assessment toconsidering alternative development pathways and discuss-ing ideas for enhancing regional cooperation in the HKH forsustainable mountain development.

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 7

Table

1.3

Fram

eworkforSD

Gconsistent

prioritiesformou

ntains

andpeop

lesof

theHKH

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

End

povertyin

allits

form

everyw

here

inthemou

ntains

and

ensure

that

wom

en,men

and

child

renof

theHKH

region

lead

healthyliv

esin

aninclusiveand

equitableenvironm

ent

•Reduceincomepo

vertyto

zero

inmou

ntainareasby

2030

(1.1)

•Reduceno

n-incomepo

verty

includ

inghealth,edu

catio

n,and

otherbasicneedsto

zero

inmou

ntainareasby

2030

(1.2)

•Achieve

universalhealth

coverage,access

toqu

ality

healthcare

services

andaccess

tosafe,effective,

quality

,and

affordable

essentialmedicines

andvaccines

forallpeop

lein

themou

ntains

(3.8)

•Allgirlsandbo

ysin

the

mou

ntains

completefree,

equitableandqu

ality

prim

ary

andsecond

aryeducation(4.1)

•Facilitateorderly,

safe,and

respon

siblemigratio

nand

mob

ility

ofpeop

lewith

inand

betweenmou

ntainandno

n-mou

ntainareas(10.7)

•By20

30,reduceto

less

than

3%thetransactioncostsof

migrant

remittancesandelim

inate

remittance

corridorswith

costs

high

erthan

5%(10.c)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

nbelow

the

internationalpo

vertylin

e(=

$1.25aday),by

sex,

age,

employ

mentstatus

and

geog

raph

ical

locatio

n(urban/

rural)(1.1.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntainmen,

wom

enandchild

renof

allages

livingin

povertyin

allits

dimension

saccordingto

natio

naldefinitio

ns(1.2.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

ncoveredby

social

protectio

nflo

ors/system

s,by

sex,

distingu

ishing

child

ren,

unem

ploy

edperson

s,older

person

s,migrants,person

swith

disabilities,pregnant

wom

en,

new-borns,w

ork-injury

victim

sandthepo

orandthevu

lnerable

(1.3.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

nliv

ingin

households

with

access

tobasicservices

(sanitatio

n,health,education)

(1.4.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

totaladult

mou

ntainpo

pulatio

nwith

secure

tenu

rerigh

tsto

land

,with

legally

recogn

ized

documentatio

nandwho

perceive

theirrigh

tsto

land

assecure,by

sexandby

type

oftenu

re(1.4.2)

•Mortalityrate

attributed

toho

useholdandam

bientair

pollu

tion(3.9.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntainyo

uth

(aged15

–24

years)

notin

education,

employ

mentor

training

(8.6.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

therural

mou

ntainpo

pulatio

nwho

live

•HKH

driversof

change

(2)

•Airpo

llutio

n(10)

•Disasterrisk

redu

ctionand

increasing

resilience(11)

•Mou

ntainpo

vertyvu

lnerability

andliv

elihoo

ds(12)

•Genderandinclusive

developm

ent(14)

•Migratio

n(15)

Goa

l1.

End

povertyin

allits

form

severyw

here

Goa

l3.

Ensurehealthyliv

esand

prom

otewell-beingforallat

all

ages

Goa

l4.

Ensureinclusiveand

equitablequ

ality

educationand

prom

otelifelon

glearning

oppo

rtun

ities

forall

(con

tinued)

8 E. Sharma et al.

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

with

in2km

ofan

all-season

road

(9.1.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

nthat

hasconv

enient

access

topu

blic

transport,by

sex,

ageandperson

swith

disabilities(11.2.1)

Prom

otesustainableprod

uctio

nsystem

sto

assure

food

security,

nutrition

security,and

incomefor

mou

ntainpeop

le,with

particular

attentionto

wom

en’s

changing

rolesin

agricultu

re

•End

allformsof

malnu

trition

inthemou

ntains

andim

prov

efood

andnu

trition

security,

particularly

forwom

enandgirl

child

ren(2.2)

•Enablehigh

erincomes

for

small-scalefarm

ers,includ

ing

wom

enfarm

ers(2.3)

•By20

30,ensure

sustainable

food

prod

uctio

nsystem

sand

implem

entresilient

agricultu

ral

practices

inthemou

ntains

that

increase

prod

uctiv

ityand

prod

uctio

n,that

help

maintain

ecosystems,that

streng

then

capacity

foradaptatio

nto

clim

atechange,extrem

eweather,drou

ght,floo

ding

and

otherdisastersandthat

prog

ressivelyim

prov

eland

and

soilqu

ality

(2.4)

•Increase

investmentin

rural

infrastructure,agricultu

ral

research,techno

logy

developm

ent,andplantand

livestock

gene

bank

sin

the

mou

ntains

toim

prov

eagricultu

ralprod

uctiv

ecapacity

(2.a)

•Achieve

sustainable

managem

entandefficientuse

ofnaturalresources(12.2)

•Prevalence

ofun

dernou

rishmentby

sexand

age(2.1.1)

•Prevalence

ofmalnu

trition

bysexandage(2.2.2)

•Average

incomeof

small-scale

food

prod

ucers,by

sexand

indigeno

usstatus

(2.3.2)

•Fo

odandnu

trition

security

(9)

•Disasterrisk

redu

ctionand

increasing

resilience(11)

•Mou

ntainpo

vertyvu

lnerability

andliv

elihoo

ds(12)

•Adaptationstrategies

(13)

•Genderandinclusive

developm

ent(14)

Goa

l2.E

ndhu

nger,achieve

food

security

andim

prov

ednu

trition

andprom

otesustainable

agricultu

reGoa

l12

.Ensuresustainable

consum

ptionandprod

uctio

npatterns

Achieve

gend

erandsocial

equity

throug

hinclusiveand

transformativechange

inthe

mou

ntains

•Elim

inateallform

sof

violence

againstallwom

enandgirls

(5.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

government

recurrentandcapitalspending

tosectorsthat

dispropo

rtionately

benefit

•Su

staining

HKH

Biodiversity

andEcosystem

Services

(5)

•Meetin

gFu

ture

EnergyNeeds

intheHKH

(6)

Goa

l5.

Achieve

gend

erequality

andem

power

allw

omen

andgirls

Goa

l10

.Reduceinequality

with

inandam

ongcoun

tries

(con

tinued)

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 9

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

•Ensurewom

en’s

and

marginalized

grou

ps’effective

participationandequal

oppo

rtun

ities

forleadership

atalllevelsof

decision

-makingin

political,econ

omic

andpu

blic

life(5.5)

•Increase

numberof

wom

enin

institu

tions

byat

least10

0%,

particularly

atthedecision

-makinglevels(16.7)

•Ado

ptandstreng

then

policies

andlegislationforthe

prom

otionof

gend

erandsocial

equalityandtheem

powerment

ofallwom

enandgirlsat

all

levels,with

afocuson

mou

ntains

(5.c)

•Elim

inategend

erdisparities

ineducationin

themou

ntains

(4.3)

•Empo

wer

andprom

otethe

social,econ

omic

andpo

litical

inclusionof

allirrespectiv

eof

age,

sex,

race,ethn

icity

,origin,

relig

ionor

econ

omic

orother

status

(10.2)

wom

en,thepo

orand

vulnerable

grou

ps(1.b.1)

•Participationrate

ofyo

uthand

adultsin

form

alandno

n-form

aleducationandtraining

inthe

previous

12mon

ths,by

sex

(4.3.1)

•Whether

orno

tlegal

fram

eworks

arein

placeto

prom

ote,

enforceandmon

itor

equalityandno

n—discriminationon

thebasisof

sex(5.1.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

totalagricultu

ral

popu

latio

nwith

ownershipor

secure

righ

tsov

eragricultu

ral

land

,by

sex;

andshareof

wom

enam

ongow

ners

orrigh

ts-bearers

ofagricultu

ral

land

,by

type

oftenu

re(5.a.1)

•Growth

ratesof

household

expend

iture

orincomeper

capita

amon

gthebo

ttom

40%

ofthepo

pulatio

nandthetotal

popu

latio

n(10.1.1)

•Prop

ortio

nsof

positio

ns(by

sex,

age,

person

swith

disabilitiesandpo

pulatio

ngrou

ps)in

public

institu

tions

(nationalandlocallegislatures,

public

service,

andjudiciary)

comparedto

natio

nal

distribu

tions

(16.7.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

popu

latio

nwho

believe

decision

-makingis

inclusiveandrespon

sive,by

sex,

age,

disabilityand

popu

latio

ngrou

p(16.7.2)

•Water

availabilityanduse(8)

•Fo

odandnu

trition

security

(9)

•Airpo

llutio

n(10)

•Disasterrisk

redu

ctionand

increasing

resilience(11)

•Mou

ntainpo

vertyvu

lnerability

andliv

elihoo

ds(12)

•Adaptationstrategies

(13)

•Genderandinclusive

developm

ent(14)

•Migratio

n(15)

•Gov

ernanceandInstitu

tions

(16)

Goa

l16

.Prom

otepeaceful

and

inclusivesocietiesforsustainable

developm

ent,prov

ideaccess

tojusticeforallandbu

ildeffective,

accoun

tableandinclusive

institu

tions

atalllevels

Ensureayear-rou

ndsecure

water

supp

lyin

themou

ntains

with

universaland

affordableaccess

tosafe

drinking

water,sanitatio

n,

•Createsecure

water

supp

lyfor

keydevelopm

entsectors

(agriculture,energy

)that

are

viable

year-rou

nd(6.4)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

n(disaggregated

bysex,

ageandsocial

catego

ries)

usingsafely

managed

drinking

water

services

(6.1.1)

•Clim

atechange

intheHKH

(3)

•Status

andchange

inthe

cryo

sphere

(4)

•Water

availabilityanduse(5)

•Fo

odandnu

trition

security

(9)

Goa

l6.

Ensureavailabilityand

sustainablemanagem

entof

water

andsanitatio

nforall

(con

tinued)

10 E. Sharma et al.

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

andwater

forprod

uctiv

epu

rposes

•Build

effectiveandefficient

mechanism

sto

implem

entand

mon

itortransbou

ndary

coop

erationagreem

ents(6.5)

•Achieve

universaland

equitable

access

tosafe

andaffordable

drinking

water

toallmou

ntain

peop

leby

2030

(6.1)

•Achieve

access

toadequate

and

equitablesanitatio

nservices

andhy

gieneeducationforallin

mou

ntainregion

s(6.2)

•Reducewom

enandchild

ren’s

water

collectingtim

eandwork

load

by20

30•Su

pportandstreng

then

the

participationof

mou

ntain

commun

ities

inwater

managem

ent(6.b)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

n(disaggregated

bysex,

ageandsocial

catego

ries)

usingsafely

managed

sanitatio

nservices,includ

inga

hand

-washing

facilitywith

soap

andwater

(6.2.1)

•Level

ofwater

stress:

freshw

ater

with

draw

alas

aprop

ortio

nof

available

freshw

ater

resources(6.4.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

transbou

ndary

basinarea

with

anop

erational

arrang

ementforwater

coop

eration(6.5.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

men

andwom

enin

thedecision

-makinglevelsin

water

andclim

aterelated

institu

tions

•Disasterrisk

redu

ctionand

increasing

resilience(11)

•Mou

ntainpo

vertyvu

lnerability

andliv

elihoo

ds(12)

•Adaptationstrategies

(13)

•Genderandinclusive

developm

ent(14)

•Migratio

n(15)

•Gov

ernanceandInstitu

tions

(16)

Goa

l13

.Takeurgent

actio

nto

combatclim

atechange

andits

impacts

Universal

access

tocleanenergy

inthemou

ntains

from

sources

that

areaffordable,reliable,

and

sustainable

•Universal

access

tocleanand

affordable

energy

bythepeop

lein

themou

ntains

(7.1)

•Increase

electrificatio

nin

rural

areas(7.1)

•Increase

useof

renewable

energy

(7.2)

•Decreaseairpo

llutio

n(3.9

and

11.6)

•Increase

access

ofenergy

for

wom

endecreasing

their

workload,

timeanddrud

gery

(7.1)

•Mortalityrate

attributed

toho

useholdandam

bientair

pollu

tion(3.9.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

n(disaggregated

bysexandsocial

catego

ries)with

access

toelectricity

(7.1.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

mou

ntain

popu

latio

n(disaggregated

bysexandsocial

catego

ries)with

prim

aryrelianceon

cleanfuels

andtechno

logy

(7.1.2)

•CO2em

ission

perun

itof

value

added(9.4.1)

•Ann

ualmeanlevelsof

fine

particulatematter(e.g.PM

2.5

andPM

10)in

cities(pop

ulation

weigh

ted)

(11.6.2)

•Clim

atechange

intheHKH

(3)

•Status

andchange

inthe

cryo

sphere

(7)

•Airpo

llutio

n(10)

Goa

l7.

Ensureaccess

toaffordable,reliable,

sustainable

andmod

ernenergy

forall

Haltbiod

iversity

loss,land

degradationandsustainably

manageforestsandother

ecosystemsin

themou

ntains

toenhanceecosystem

resiliencefor

sustainedflow

ofservices

•Ensuretheconservatio

nof

mou

ntainecosystems,

includ

ingtheirbiod

iversity

and

habitats(15.4)

•Takeurgent

actio

nto

minim

ise

human-w

ildlifeconfl

ictand

end

•Chang

ein

theextent

ofecosystemsov

ertim

e(6.6.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

impo

rtantsitesfor

terrestrialandfreshw

ater

biod

iversity

that

arecoveredby

Sustaining

HKHBiodiversity

and

Ecosystem

Services

(5)

Goa

l15

.Protect,restoreand

prom

otesustainableuseof

terrestrialecosystem

s,sustainably

manageforests,combat

desertificatio

n,andhaltand

(con

tinued)

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 11

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

poaching

andtraffickingof

protectedspeciesof

floraand

faun

ain

themou

ntains

(15.7)

•Reduceecosystem

degradation

bydevelopm

entprojectsby

50%

andrestoredegraded

ecosystems(15.5)

•Includ

eecosystem

values

innatio

nalaccoun

tingpractices

(15.9)

•Increase

investmentin

biod

iversity

conservatio

n,and

ecosystem

basedadaptatio

nand

sustaining

services

by50

%by

2030

(15.a)

•Ensure10

0%commun

ityparticipationin

biod

iversity

prog

rammes

atthelocallevel

•Increase

wom

en’s

participation

indecision

makingprocesses

by50

%in

naturalresource

access

andbenefitsharing

prog

rammes

•Establishamou

ntainspecific

database

forspeciesand

ecosystem

services

(17.18

)

protectedareas,by

ecosystem

type

(15.1.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

land

that

isdegraded

over

totalland

area

(15.3.1)

•Cov

erageby

protectedareasof

impo

rtantsitesformou

ntain

biod

iversity

(15.4.1)

•Mou

ntainGreen

Cov

erIndex

(ind

icator

tomeasure

changes

ofgreenvegetatio

nin

mou

ntain

areas,inform

edby

satellite

imagerydata)(15.4.2)

•Red

ListIndex(end

angered

species)

(15.5.1)

•Official

developm

entassistance

andpu

blic

expend

iture

onconservatio

nandsustainable

useof

biod

iversity

and

ecosystems(15.b.1)

•Num

berof

coun

triesthat

have

adop

tedlegislative,

administrativeandpo

licy

fram

eworks

toensure

fairand

equitablesharingof

benefits(of

useof

genetic

orothernatural

resources)

(15.6.1)

reverseland

degradationandhalt

biod

iversity

loss

Ensureintegrationbetween

adaptatio

nto

clim

atechange,

disaster

risk

redu

ctionand

sustainabledevelopm

entforthe

mou

ntains

throug

hevidence-

baseddecision

making

•Con

certed

actio

nto

keep

glob

allevelclim

atechange

to1.5°

by21

00(17.14

)•Streng

then

resilienceand

adaptiv

ecapacity

toclim

ate

relatedhazardsandnatural

disastersin

themou

ntains

(13.1)

•Reducemortalityrates,

especially

forwom

enand

child

rendu

eto

extrem

eclim

ate

events(1.5)

•Reduceecon

omic

loss

dueto

extrem

eclim

ateevents(11.5)

•Integratemou

ntainspecific

clim

atechange

measuresinto

•Num

berof

deaths,missing

person

sandperson

saffected

bydisaster

per10

0,00

0peop

le(disaggregated

bysex)

(1.5.1)

•Directd

isasterecon

omicloss

inrelatio

nto

glob

alGDP,

includ

ingdisaster

damageto

criticalinfrastructure

and

disrup

tionof

basicservices

(11.5.2)

•Prop

ortio

nof

local

governmentsthat

adop

tand

implem

entlocaldisaster

risk

redu

ctionstrategies

inlin

ewith

theSend

aiFram

eworkfor

•Status

andchange

inthe

cryo

sphere

(7)

•Disasterrisk

redu

ctionand

increasing

resilience(11)

•Adaptationstrategies

(13)

Goa

l13

.Takeurgent

actio

nto

combatclim

atechange

andits

impacts

Goa

l11

.Makecitiesandhu

man

settlem

entsinclusive,

safe,

resilient

andsustainable

Goa

l1.

End

povertyin

allits

form

severyw

here

(con

tinued)

12 E. Sharma et al.

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

natio

nalpo

licies,strategies

and

planning

(13.2)

DisasterRiskReductio

n20

15–

2030

(11.b.1)

Build

resilient,equitableand

inclusivemou

ntaincommun

ities

empo

wered

byecon

omic

oppo

rtun

ityandinvestmentin

mou

ntaininfrastructure

and

conn

ectiv

ity

•Develop

sustainableand

resilient

infrastructure

inthe

mou

ntains

tosupp

ortecon

omic

developm

entandhu

man

well-being(9.1)

•Su

stainpercapita

econ

omic

grow

thin

themou

ntains

andat

least7%

annu

alGDPgrow

th(8.1)

•Deviseandim

plem

ent

mou

ntainspecificpo

liciesto

prom

otesustainablemou

ntain

tourism,which

createslocal

jobs,p

romotes

localculture

and

prod

ucts(8.9)

•Achieve

access

tofulland

prod

uctiv

eem

ploy

mentand

decent

workforallwom

enand

men

inthemou

ntains,and

equalpayforworkof

equal

value(8.5)

•Protectlabo

urrigh

tsand

prom

otesafe

andsecure

working

environm

entsforall

workers,includ

ingmigrant

workers

from

mou

ntainareas,

inparticular

wom

enandthose

inprecarious

employ

ment(8.8)

•Eradicate

forced

child

labo

urandhu

man

trafficking(8.7)

•Ann

ualg

rowth

rateof

realGDP

percapita,disagg

rega

tedfor

mou

ntainareas(8.1.1)

•Mou

ntaintourism

direct

GDP

asaprop

ortio

nof

totalGDP

andin

grow

thrate

(8.9.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

jobs

insustainablemou

ntaintourism

indu

stries

outof

totalmou

ntain

tourism

jobs

(8.9.2)

•Average

hourly

earnings

offemaleandmaleem

ploy

eesin

mou

ntainareas,by

occupatio

n,ageandperson

swith

disabilities(8.5.1)

•Unemploy

mentrate,by

sex,age

andperson

swith

disabilitiesin

mou

ntainareas(8.5.2)

•Level

ofnatio

nalcompliance

with

labo

urrigh

ts(freedom

ofassociationandcollective

bargaining

)basedon

InternationalLabou

rOrganization(ILO)textual

sourcesandnatio

nallegislatio

n,by

sexandmigrant

status

(8.8.2)

•Volum

eof

remittancesto

mou

ntainareas(inUnited

States

dollars)as

aprop

ortio

nof

totalGDP(17.3.2)

•Mou

ntainpo

vertyvu

lnerability

andliv

elihoo

ds(12)

•DRR

andincreasing

resilience

(11)

•Adaptationstrategies

(13)

•GenderandInclusive

Develop

ment(14)

•Migratio

n(15)

Goa

l8.

Prom

otesustained,

inclusiveandsustainable

econ

omic

grow

th,fulland

prod

uctiv

eem

ploy

mentand

decent

workforall

Goa

l9.

Build

resilient

infrastructure,prom

oteinclusive

andsustainableindu

strialization

andfoster

inno

vatio

nGoa

l11

.Makecitiesandhu

man

settlem

entsinclusive,

safe,

resilient,andsustainable

Prom

oteamou

ntain-specific

agenda

forachievingtheSD

Gs

throug

hincreasedregion

alcoop

erationam

ongandbetween

mou

ntainregion

sandnatio

ns

•Coo

perate

atalllevelsacross

theHKH

region

forsustainable

andmutualbenefits(17.17

)•Enh

ance

region

aland

internationalcoop

erationand

access

toscience,

techno

logy

andinno

vatio

nto

achievethe

SDGsin

mou

ntainareas(17.6)

•In

natio

nal,region

al,and

glob

aldecision

makinginstitu

tions

andprocesses,recogn

izeand

•Num

berof

scienceand/or

techno

logy

coop

eration

agreem

entsandprog

rammes

betweencoun

tries,by

type

ofcoop

eration,

focusing

onmou

ntains

(17.6.1)

•Extento

fuseof

coun

try-ow

ned

results

fram

eworks

and

planning

toolsby

prov

idersof

developm

entcoop

erationan

d

Gov

ernanceandInstitu

tions

(16)

Goa

l17

.Revitalizetheglob

alpartnershipforsustainable

developm

ent

(con

tinued)

1 Introduction to the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment 13

Table

1.3

(con

tinued)

SDG

consistent

prioritiesforthe

HKH

region

Targets(related

SDG

targetsin

parentheses)

HKH

Indicators

(SDG

indicators

listedin

parentheses)

HIM

APassessment

correspo

ndingchapter

Linkwith

mostrelevant

SDG

prioritizetheun

iqueness

ofthe

HKH

mou

ntains

andits

peop

le.

Ensurerepresentatio

nin

decision

-making(17.15

)•Allo

cate

sign

ificantly

greater

resourcesandidentify

incentives

forconservatio

nof

benefitsfrom

mou

ntain

ecosystems(15a

and17

.2)

•Enh

ance

capacity-building

supp

ortto

HKH

coun

triesto

increase

sign

ificantly

the

availabilityof

high

quality

,tim

ely,

reliabledata

that

isspecificto

mou

ntainregion

s,disagg

regatedby

income,

gend

er,age,

race,ethn

icity

,migratory

status

anddisability

(17.18

)•Equ

alprotectio

nof

migrants

undereffectiverule

oflaw

and

good

governance

(16.3)

recogn

ition

oftheHKH

(17.15

.1)

•Net

official

developm

ent

assistance

tomou

ntainareasin

theHKH,totalandto

least

developedcoun

tries,as

aprop

ortio

nof

theOrganization

forEcono

mic

Coo

peratio

nand

Develop

ment(O

ECD)

Develop

mentAssistance

Com

mittee

dono

rs’gross

natio

nalincome(G

NI)(17.2.1)

•Total

amou

ntof

approv

edfund

ingformou

ntainareasin

developing

coun

triesto

prom

otethedevelopm

ent,

transfer,dissem

inationand

diffusionof

environm

entally

soun

dtechno

logies

(17.7.1)

•Prop

ortio

nof

sustainable

developm

entindicators

prod

uced

atthenatio

nallevel

specificto

theHKH

mou

ntain

areas,with

fulldisagg

regatio

nwhenrelevant

tothetarget,in

accordance

with

the

Fund

amentalPrinciples

ofOfficial

Statistics(17.18

.1)

•Level

ofnatio

nalcompliance

with

labo

urrigh

ts(freedom

ofassociationandcollective

bargaining

)basedon

InternationalLabou

rOrganization(ILO)textual

sourcesandnatio

nallegislatio

n,by

sexandmigrant

status

(8.8.2)

14 E. Sharma et al.

1.8 Assessment Process

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Develop-ment (ICIMOD) coordinated HIMAP, constituted the chap-ter author teams and the process was steered by policydecisions of the Steering Committee. The assessment pro-cess involved several rounds of Steering Committee meet-ings, workshops of Coordinating Lead Authors and LeadAuthors including write-shops and peer inter-chapterreviews, subject expert reviews, and open reviews for any-one interested. Science-policy dialogues were organized todevelop key policy messages. For this assessment, HIMAPhas engaged more than 300 researchers, practitioners,experts, and policy-makers. The publication of the firstComprehensive Assessment of the HKH in 2018 is plannedas a wide-ranging, innovative evaluation of the current stateof knowledge in the region and of various drivers of changeand their impacts, and a set of practically oriented policyrecommendations. The process is following these steps:

• Framing of the assessment: A framing workshop andconsultations with various experts to define the structureand process of the assessment.

• Drafting of chapters: Based on the experience of otherassessments, a network of people with in-depth knowl-edge of the region to draft the chapters.

• Peer review: Rigorously review the chapter drafts, bothby peers and via open review.

• Dissemination: Using multiple channels, to communicateto a wide range of audiences during the process to drawattention while the assessment is still in preparation.

• Engagement with policy-makers: share with policy-makers in the region through various processes.

• Development of a summary document: A summary fordecision-makers based on the results of the process.

• Publication and launch: Publication of the first edition ofthe assessment in 2017.

1.9 Outline of the Assessment

Each chapter of the assessment address three broad themeswithin its particular confines:

(1) Defining the vision and state of knowledge;(2) Drivers of change and integrated future scenarios; and(3) Noting ideas and praxis for sustainable development.

The critical questions were used by each of the chaptersto address the key issues of the region. The sixteen chaptersinclude: Introduction—setting the scene: Drivers—local,

regional, and global; Climate change in the HKH; Futurescenarios; Sustaining HKH biodiversity and ecosystem ser-vices; Meeting future energy needs; The cryosphere; Watersecurity—availability, use, and governance; Food andnutrition security; Air pollution; Disaster risk reduction andincreasing resilience; Mountain poverty, vulnerability andlivelihoods; Adaptation strategies; Gender and inclusivedevelopment; Migration; and Governance and institutions.

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16 E. Sharma et al.