International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Kathmandu, Nepal

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Kathmandu, Nepal

Understanding Water- Energy-Food Nexus from Mountain

Perspective

David Molden, Aditi Mukherji, Golam Rasul, Arun Shrestha,

Ramesh Vaidya, Shahriar M. Wahid and Philippus Wester

Presented by Golam Rasul and Aditi Mukherji

Outline

1. Background & objective

2. Nexus challenges in South Asia

3. Role of Himalayas in Nexus security in South

Asia

4. Challenge in sustaining mountain ecosystems

5. Conclusions & Recommendations

Water, Energy & Food Security: A common challenge

• Over 40% of the world's poor live in South Asia

• Growing water stress- 20% lack access to safe

drinking water

• Food-energy deficiency- 51%

• 63% population no access to modern energy

• Water, Energy & Food security is a common

challenge for SA

Objective

• Mountains provide numerous goods & services – fresh water,

biodiversity, food, forest, medicinal products & energy.

• However, the role of mountains in nexus security is not fully

understood & recognized.

• Poor understanding may lead to inadequate action & further

degradation of critical resources including mountain

ecosystems

• With an example of the Himalayan ecosystem services &

their role in ensuring water, energy & food security in SA, we

argue that mountains deserve special attention in the

water-energy-food-nexus discourse.

• 2. Nexus Challenges in South

Asia

Nexus Challenges: Food Security

• With 3% of land, SA has to feed 20% population

• Per capita agricultural land declining

• Food production needs to be doubled in next 25

years

• Water demand for irrigation will increase about 70%

• Fertilizer demand will increase over 100%

• Rice & wheat- high water & energy demanding

• Intensification of agriculture has led to a great dependence on water & energy

• Competition for land for food & bio-energy crops & ecosystem services

Nexus Challenges: Water Security

• Growing water demand for agriculture, energy, industry,

human & livestock

• Uneven endowment of water resources

• Almost 90% water is consumed by the agriculture sector

• About 20% of the population lack access to safe drinking

water

• Groundwater: 70-80% of the agricultural production depends

on groundwater irrigation

• Water pollution – arsenic, water borne diseases, high child

mortality, poor human health, salinization

• Growing water stress- Pakistan, India

501

1841

4509

0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

4500

5000

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated area in Bangladesh ‘000 ha

5.8

20.8

56

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated land as % of arable land,

Bangladesh

25,523

40,637

57,178

0

10,000

20,000

30,000

40,000

50,000

60,000

70,000

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated area in India ‘000 ha

16

25

35

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated land as % of arable land, India

Challenges: Irrigation Trend, Water Stress

77

673

1,135

0

200

400

600

800

1,000

1,200

1965 1985 2002

4

29

36

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated land as % of arable land, Nepal Irrigated land in Nepal, ‘000 ha

11,139

15,548

17,810

0

2,000

4,000

6,000

8,000

10,000

12,000

14,000

16,000

18,000

20,000

1965 1985 2002

62.9

77.6 83

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

1965 1985 2002

Irrigated land in Pakistan, ‘000 ha Irrigated land as % of arable land, Pakistan

Challenges: Irrigation Trend, Water Stress

Nexus Challenges: Energy Security

• Widening demand - supply gap

• 63% no electricity -65% use biomass for

cooking

• Shortage of energy impedes economic growth

• Meeting growing energy demand for agriculture,

water, industry & other economic activities

• High dependence on traditional sources, fossil

fuels, imported energy

• Reducing reliance upon fossil fuels & carbon

intensity

Nexus Challenge: Climate change

• Climate change is a major

concern - alterations in

temperature & precipitation,

melting Himalayan glaciers,

degradation of natural

resources & environment

• Fresh water availability –

increased uncertainty

• Increased frequency of extreme

events, drought, floods,

variability in climate, affecting

monsoon patterns

1990-2080 (% change)

World

-0.6 to -0.9

Developed Countries

2.7 to 9.0

Developing Countries

-3.3 to -7.2

Southeast Asia

-2.5 to -7.8

South Asia

-18.2 to -22.1

Sub-Saharan Africa

-3.9 to -7.5

Latin America

5.2 to 12.5

3. Role of Himalayas in Water,

Energy, and Food Security in

South Asia

Himalayas – the water tower of Asia

•Himalayan freshwater

54,000 glaciers , covering 60,000 Km2

•Largest body of ice outside the Polar caps

• Store about 12,000 km3 of freshwater

Indo-Gangetic Plain- bread basket of SA

• World’s largest irrigated agriculture in

IGBP

• Rice-wheat system

produces the bulk of the food-grains of SA

Ground water recharge

•Himalayan watersheds are

natural storage of water

•Himalayas influences the

ground water condition of IGBP

- Recharge deep aquifers

•IGBP is rich in ground water –

replenish by rainfall, snow &

ice melting & seepage from

Himalayan watershed

Monsoon Regulation

• Himalayas

regulates

micro-

climates, wind

& monsoon

circulation,

Energy Security

• Himalayas have vital role in

energy security in SA

• Hydropower potential 500 GW

• Himalayas can provide access to

green energy

• Of the total hydropower potential in

India, 79% is in the Himalayan region

• Micro-hydropower

Challenges of sustaining mountain Ecosystems

• No incentives to mountain communities to conserve mountain natural resources.

• Degradation of natural resources- forest, rangeland, soil, watershed, headwaters of Himalayan rivers

• Environmental degradation- biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, siltation, silting river beds, declining ground water recharge, drying up streams,

• Socio-economic impacts- topsoil loss, declining productivity, water shortages, livelihoods insecurity, food insecurity, energy insecurity

Conclusions

• Need urgent action to sustainably manage

mountain ecosystems to ensure food, water &

energy security.

• Inter-country coordination & collaboration is critical

for long-term solutions for food, water & energy

security.

• A basin-level approach is required to manage

synergies & trade-offs in food, water, & energy

nexus.

• Mountain is global natural capital, it is common

interest & shared responsibility to protect the

mountain ecosystems

Recommendations

• Recognize the role of mountain ecosystems, upstream-

downstream interdependencies

• Optimum development & sustainable use of water & energy-

micro & macro hydropower - demarcate fragile zones.

• Framework for regional cooperation for multiple uses of water

& benefit-sharing.

• Manage headwaters of the rivers & their watersheds.

• Provide incentives to mountain communities for sustainable

management of the headwaters.

• Promote nexus knowledge base to support decision-making

in managing trade-offs & promoting synergies

Thank you Thank you

Recommendations

• Provide alternative energy sources - to reduce black carbon emissions

• Develop micro & macro hydropower optimally- identify potential hydropower areas, demarcate fragile zones .

• Framework for regional cooperation for multiple uses of water for irrigation, energy, navigation, fisheries, domestic uses & for benefit-sharing.

• Promote interdisciplinary research & a nexus knowledge base to support decision-making in managing trade-offs & promoting synergies