Wetlands of Hindu Kush Himalayas Ecosystem Functions, Services and Impacts of Climate Change Wetlands of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

Diverse wetland types KYRGYZSTAN UZBEKISTAN – peatlands, glaciated TAJIKISTAN TURKMENISTAN lakes, springs, CHINA marshes, floodplains, Yellow R. manmade AFGANISTAN

Brahmaputra R.

PAKISTAN NEPAL Comprise 17% of the BHUTAN IRAN HKH region area BANGLADESH

INDIA MYANMAR Ecosystem Services

Regulation of hydrological regimes

9 largest Asian rivers Yellow have headwaters Indus in HAWs, Yangtze basins of Brahmaputra which Ganga support 29% of global population

Mekong Ecosystem Services (2)

Carbon sequestration

Ruoergai marshes in China store 750 million tonnes of carbon – 7.5 times the annual fossil fuel emissions of transportation sector of China Ecosystem Services (3)

• Hotspots of biodiversity

Bar headed geese use the Rourgei marshes and HAWs of Bhutan as breeding grounds

Trout River of Kashmir- High altitude wetlands are the habitats of cold water fish species Ecosystem Services (4)

• Cultural linkages and support to livelihoods

Rourgei marshes support more than 50,000 Tibetan herders

Several high altitude wetlands as Gokyo in Nepal have religious and spiritual significance , especially for Hindus and Buddhists Causes of wetland degradation

Extremely vulnerable to wide range of human and environment driven threats • Water diversions • Drainage for agriculture • Overgrazing • Climate change induced stresses Climate change in the Himalayan Region

Rapid increase in Glacial melt, which contributes 4 – 45% of the river base flows

Increased variability of flows , frequent droughts and floods

Shifts in biodiversity – vulnerability of species with restricted habitat availability

High levels of vulnerability within communities Wetlands and Climate Change

Wetlands can contribute significantly to climate change adaptation

• Regulation of hydrological regimes – storing peak flows, augmenting lean flows

• Storing carbon – peatlands

• Supporting biodiversity

Wetland degradation enhances vulnerability to climate change Wetlands within Jhelum Basin

Gangbal

Kishensar Erin

Wular

Manasbal Haigam

Badnambal Anchar Hokersar Tarsar Sheshnag Dal Marsar Nagin

References

Drainage

Glaciers

Open Forest

Moderate Dense Forest

Very Dense Forest

Scrub Kaunsarnag 300 30 Wetland Verinag Kilometers Valley Developmental Activities

1911Zalwan 2007 Zalwan

Kanibathi Kanibathi Gurihajan Nar

Zainagir Cannal Watlab Garoor Watlab a Garoor a

Mukhdomyari Mukhdomyari

Hajan

Sopore

Ningli Shahgund Hajan Malgom Gujar Nar Gund Jahangir Sopore Bod Shahgund Malgom Gund Ningli Manasbal Jahangir Haigam

Haigam Manasbal

•70% of area under marshes converted for agriculture and plantation Changes in Water Flows

Increasing glacial melt leading to higher flow volumes and early onset of high flows

Increased vulnerability due to loss of wetlands • lower moderation of peak flows • lower lean season flows due to reduced absorption capacity

800.00 Higher flow volumes -Climate 700.00 Peaking of flows, change lower moderation

600.00

500.00

1922-40 1941-60 400.00 1961-80 Lower lean season 1981-00 300.00 flows Mean monthly flows (cumecs) flows monthly Mean

200.00 Early onset of high flows

100.00

0.00 Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July August September October November December Extremities – floods and droughts

High Flows 20 Low Flows

15 Frequency of High and Low flow and flow years Low High of Frequency 10

0 1920-40 1941-60 1961-80 1981-00 Inventorization and Assessment

Poverty and marginalization of communities

5 % Populationliving Below PovertyLine 0 Wular State Integrating Wetlands in Climate Change Adaptation

Wetlands and River Basin Management

Headwater wetlands provide water resource Downstream wetlands functions e.g. provide local goods and • flood protection services: e.g. • low flow support •fish • agriculture • recreation

• Functioning of HAWs critical to ensure sustained provisioning of ecosystems services in the downstream reaches • Wetland conservation and wise use as alternate to structural approaches Integrating Wetlands in Climate Change Adaptation

Longitudinal Dimension • Connectivity of wetlands with river Headw aters-estuary systems critical to maintenance of Sea

their ecosystem services Riffle-pool Parapotamon-channel Freshwater-marine

Lateral Dimension

Channel-canyou Channel-ridge wall

Channel-upland Channel Source

Upland

Vertical Dimension

Aquifer Springbrook Aquifer Soil

River Aquifer Aquifer-channel

Hyporheic Zone

Aquifer-riverbed Current status of policy integration

• Sectoral approach to wetlands and water management with limited degree of integration • Role of wetlands in water management and river basin management not explicitly recognized • Water allocation strategies focused on human uses without considering ecological requirements • Focus on role of state and community institutions in management of water resources – limited role of private sector , diffused incentive mechanisms • Urgent need for action as inadequate integration enhances vulnerability of large populations and ecosystems – especially on account of climate change Himalayan Wetland Initiative

• Database methodologies on Himalayan Wetlands • Mechanisms and facilities for cooperation, networking and capacity building • Improve knowledge of climate change impacts and of adaptation responses • Devise and promote best practices on Himalayan wetlands management • Develop participatory CEPA programmes • Develop policy support for implementation of wetland conservation Thank You