for a living planet Climate Contours Living with Change: Biodiversity, Communities and Livelihoods Vol 1 Issue 1 July 2007

al/Sandeep Chamling Rai Inside this issue : About this Project 3 Changing Climate of Ladakh, India 4 Vulnerable Wetlands of Gokyo, 4 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)-Imja Glacial Lake, Nepal 5 Credit : WWF Nep Endangered Ecosystems of Koshi Tappu, Nepal 5 Protecting life in the Ganga, India 6 Lake People and Mangroves, Sundarbans, India 6 Scientific Research 6 Going Nowhere Fast: Top Rivers Face Mounting Threats 8 Vol 1 Issue 1 Climate Contours A Note from India “WWF-India is privileged and happy to be a part of this new programme which will focus on studying the impacts of climate change on the and its corresponding effects on our river basins. Our efforts will be directed towards enabling selected communities to deal with their changing climate through adaptation strategies and towards biodiversity conservation and protecting our natural ecosystems. We also hope to build strong partnerships with our government leaders, scientific researchers and social communities, which in turn will further our efforts and magnify our outcomes. In doing so we will be continuing to promote our mission of conservation and contribute to building a sustainable future for our communities and environment.” Ravi Singh Secretary General and CEO WWF-India

A Note from Nepal Never has it been more critical for us all to address the state of the planet. Climate change is real and its impacts will reach far into the future. In Nepal, the Himalayas are melting rapidly and this will affect not only the biodiversity of the region but also the livelihoods of millions who depend on the fresh water flowing from these mighty water towers. WWF, the global conservation organization, recognizes that climate change is an issue that needs partnerships with people from local to global, and cooperation across borders. We promise to work with you to find solutions to save a living planet.

Anil Manandhar Country Representative WWF Nepal A Note from the Programme Director WWF-India is pleased to be coordinating this important initiative which will help increase our understanding on impacts of climate change on freshwater flows, and to develop adaptation strategies to address these. The programme will also help build closer cooperation and synergies at the technical, scientific and community levels between the Himalayan regions of India and Nepal through the regional component. We look forward to working closely with our colleagues and counterparts in Nepal to make this a model programme for regional cooperation and for demonstrating effective linkages between science and society. Dr Sejal Worah Programme Director WWF-India A Note from our Donor WWF Netherlands is proud to be part of the Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems of WWF India and WWF Nepal. Why would the people of a country without mountains be interested in glaciers? Because we live inone world and people's actions in our place, notably the emission of greenhouse gasses which cause the atmosphere to heat-up, contribute to the melt-down of the Himalayan glaciers and the rise of sea-levels. So we too have a responsibility and want work together with you to first of all understand the problems these trends cause for nature and for people. We all have to change our lifestyles to halt the cause of these problems and we have to work together to create space for nature to be able to adapt to- and find ways for people to cope with- the changing world. Together with Governments, communities, scientists and businesses, the WWF Network wants to contribute to this search.

Gert Polet Manager International Project WWF-The Netherlands

Editorial Team Anne-Marie Singh, CCIFEH Programme (Regional Programme) Eliza Sthapit, Freshwater, WWF Nepal Rajneesh Sareen, CCIFEH Programme (Regional Programme) S Vidya, Policy and Programme Development, WWF-India Sandeep Chamling Rai, Climate Change and Energy, WWF Nepal Shruti Shukla, Energy and Climate Policy, WWF-India

2 Living with Change: Biodiversity, Communities and Livelihoods July 2007 About the Project Climate Change Impacts on Freshwater Ecosystems in the Himalayas (CCIFEH) Programme is a joint initiative of WWF-India and WWF Nepal, funded by WWF-The Netherlands. The Programme entails a panorama of actions working towards understanding future climate change impacts on Himalayan river ecosystems and vulnerable communities for the development of adaptation strategies; implementation of pilot adaptation strategies in selected sites; and raising the awareness of climate change impacts on Himalayan river basins, in addition to urging specific decision makers within the region to take appropriate action. Over the past 200 years, human activities have significantly altered the world's atmosphere. Increase in greenhouse gas concentrations has led to a warming of the earth's surface and, because greenhouse gas concentrations are continuing to increase, this warming will continue.

High Altitude Wetlands (Ladakh)

What would these changes mean for agriculture economies, natural resources and its dependent urban and rural communities? Climate change will have social, economic and ecological impacts. There will be both losers and bigger losers. All our natural ecosystems are vulnerable to climate change. Those particularly at risk are glaciers, coral reefs, mangroves and wetlands, tropical forests, deserts and remnant native grasslands. Agriculture, fisheries, forests and water resources are also likely to be sensitive to climate change as are cities and towns, CCIFEH sites the energy sector and industry, although the net effects are much harder to predict. Adaptation can potentially offset some adverse climate change impacts, but if carried out in an ad hoc manner, will attract larger cost implications. Some systems will adapt automatically to some degree as changes occur, but a better understanding of impacts can contribute to adaptation strategies designed to minimize adverse impacts and optimize benefits. The present project in India and Nepal has a long term vision aimed at minimizing the impacts of climate change for selected communities and ecosystems in Himalayan river basins. The programme seeks to implement concrete localized adaptation measures through improved understanding of climate impacts and further, influencing local, national and regional policy processes. CCIFEH Programme since its inception has witnessed various achievements and will focus on similar activities in coming years; we would like to share these experiences and research components with you through this quarterly newsletter. This newsletter will cover information from our field sites covering: • High altitude wetlands in Ladakh, India and Gokyo, Nepal; • Glaciers and glacial lakes in the Himalayan range both in Nepal and India; • The Upper part of the Ganga River (UGR) basin and Koshi Basin; and • Sundarbans delta (mangroves forest) where actions pertaining to climate change impacts understanding and predictions, responsive adaptation, improved livelihoods, biodiversity conservation etc will be showcased. This compendium of information will serve as a ready reference for researchers, policy makers/decision makers, local communities, press and media and many more stakeholders to understand the climate dynamics and local solutions to get attuned to future risks and modalities. Rajneesh Sareen

1. Siegenthaler, U., T.F. Thomas, E. Monnin, D. Lüthi, J. Schwander, B. Stauffer, D. Raynaud, J-M. Barnola, H. Fischer, V. Masson- Delmotte, J. Jouzel. 2005. Stable carbon cycle-climate relationship during the Late Pleistocene. Science 310: 1313-1317 2. Hansen, J., L. Nazarenko, R. Ruedy, M. Sato, J. Willis, A. Del Genio, D. Koch, A. Lacis, K. Lo, S. Menon, T. Novakov, J. Perlwitz, G. Russell, G.A. Schmidt, and N. Tausnev. 2005. Earth's energy imbalance: confirmation and implications. Science 308(5727): 1431-1435.

3 Vol 1 Issue 1 Climate Contours Changing Climate of Ladakh, India

Ladakh, in India's northern most state of Jammu and Kashmir, represents the westernmost extension of the vast Tibetan Plateau, covering an altitude range from 2700 to 7650 metres above sea level. Two major mountain chains, the Himalayas and the Karakoram, demarcate its natural borders in the south and the north respectively, whereas the Zanskar and Ladakh ranges run through it cut by the flow of the River Indus. It constitutes over 80 per cent of the Trans-Himalayan Tract in India and is home to a unique assemblage of flora and fauna in its High Altitude Wetlands. The region, popularly known as a cold desert, is characterized by severe, arid conditions. Temperatures may drop to- 400 C in the long winter months between December and April and may rise to 350 C in the short summer season from July to August. Under the Regional Programme, WWF has taken on a new initiative of studying the relation of climate change with freshwater at this altitude.As almost all the lakes and rivers in the region are of glacial origin, at this altitude any changes in the size and area of the wetlands and water flow in the rivers can easily be related to climate change. In Ladakh many obvious changes in the regional climate of the area have already been observed. Some of these changes are:

l Changes in rainfall pattern. l Receding glaciers in the region.

Credit : WWF-India/Pankaj Chandan l Rising level of glacial lakes like Tsomoririand Yaya Tso. Tsomoriri Lake, Ladakh l Unusual floods in July 2005 andAugust 2006. Climate change has very serious impacts both on the unique ecosystems of the region as well as on the local communities of Ladakh. On one hand the rising level of some key high altitude wetlands like Tsomoriri, has submerged important breeding islands near the lake where endangered migratory birds like the Black-necked Crane and Barheaded Goose would breed. On the other, events like the floods, which occurred in the year 2005 and 2006, claimed several lives along with causing massive economical destruction. The local community was caught unawares due to their ignorance about the changing climate. These events in the very recent past increase the urgency to design adaptation strategies along with raising awareness about the issues at hand. As part of the Climate Witness programme in Ladakh a massive awareness campaign has been launched. The local communities have been asked to come forward and share their observations related to climate change in Ladakh, in order to validate scientific data for the same. The major focus is to work with local communities and to find out their perception on climate change in Ladakh. These stories from the communities will be compiled and will be shared with policy makers and planners. The overall goal of the project is to build a movement of people to save the unique environment of Ladakh from climate change. The awareness level of the people will be raised to the extent that they can initiate policy advocacy on climate change. Pankaj Chandan

Vulnerable Wetlands of Gokyo, Nepal

The Gokyo lake series in Nepal, is situated at an altitude of 4710-4950m and is one of the important wetland sites in the Sagarmatha National Park on the way to the base camp of Mount Everest. Partially fed by the largest glacier, Ngozumpa, Gokyo series has six lakes. It is a source of permanent fresh water and lies on the head of the River which descends from the world's seventh highest mountain Cho Oyo, creating a unique and representative wetland in the world's highest freshwater lake system.

The Gokyo wetland series is naturally vulnerable as it is lying in an ecologically

fragile and unstable zone. The outburst of the Ngozumpa glacier is always a threat al to the existence of the lakes. Dangers to communities and visitors due to a potential Glacier Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF) event cannot be denied.

Under the CCIFEH programme, WWF Nepal's Freshwater Unit has initiated a three-

year project on the Gokyo lake of Everest region. This project assesses the Credit : WWF Nep vulnerability of the Gokyo lake series considering climate change as a cause, which Gokyo Lake near Ngozumpa Glacier, Nepal impacts freshwater and in turn the livelihoods of millions of people living downstream. It further aspires to prepare a community based adaptation strategy for these vulnerable communities. WWF Nepal started its activities in November 2006 by appointing a field staff member working under the Project Manager of Sagarmatha National Parks and Buffer Zone Support Program (SNPBZSP), a project implemented by WWF Nepal jointly with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation. Since then the staff member is actively mobilizing the community to help them understand the relevance and importance of this project. Following this, a major grant has been given to the field office for conducting various activities including awareness programs. Field level consultations are also underway for vulnerability assessment and preparation of community-based adaptation strategies.

Neera Pradhan

4 Living with Change: Biodiversity, Communities and Livelihoods July 2007 Glacial Lake Outburst Flood (GLOF)-Imja Glacial Lake, Nepal The Imja Glacial Lake is the second largest glacial lake in Nepal Himalayas after Tsho Rolpa and is listed high among potentially dangerous glacial lakes. It lies at an altitude of 5000 metres above sea level and is fed by the debris-covered glaciers of Imja, Lhotse Shar andAmphu Lapcha. This lake is the headwater of the Imja River. The Imja lake is a relatively new lake which was formed in the 1950s. Scientific data has revealed an alarming growth in the size of the lake in the last decade. A few small ponds started forming as shown by a 1955- 63 Schnider map.According to data from a survey in 1992, the length and width of the lake was 1.3km and 0.5km respectively. The average depth was 47m and the maximum was 99m. The lake occupied an area of 0.60 sq km. The accumulation of water was estimated at about 28 million cubic m. The next survey of Imja in 2002 showed that the lake had expanded to

an area of 0.86 sq km, 28 per cent larger than the previous survey. Credit : WWF Nepal/Sandeep Chamling Rai The sharp increase in the size of the lake attracts attention to the risk it causes from glacial lake outburst flood (GLOF). GLOF occurs when the Imja Lake, Nepal natural moraine walls along the glacial lake cannot withstand the water pressure caused by the water accumulated in the glacial lake causing the moraine wall to break and a huge volume of water and debris to flow down resulting in a flood which causes massive loss downstream. Under the CCIFEH programme, a study of the potential hazard of the Imja glacial lake will be carried out. In addition, adaptation strategies will be developed and recommendations made to safeguard local biodiversity and several hundreds of communities living downstream. Sandeep Chamling Rai

Endangered Ecosystems of Koshi Tappu, Nepal The Koshi River in Nepal, one of the major tributaries of the Ganges, is the third largest Himalayan River, originating from the Tibetan plateau and peaks of the Central Himalayas. The total catchment of the Koshi River upto the Koshi barrage is estimated to be 60,400 sq km out of which 27,553 sq km (45.6%) lies in Nepal and remaining 32.847 sq km (54.4%) lies in Tibet. The Koshi river has a steep gradient in the mountains and hills while on the plains it forms numerous channels. It carries a high silt load and forms sandbars and islands. Thus, it always tends to change its course each year causing high flooding. The Koshi has an average flow of 1931 cubic m per sec. The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, designated as a Ramsar site, is located at the Koshi River basin downstream. Approximately 80 per cent of the population living in this region depends upon agriculture for their sustenance while 20 per cent is involved in business and trade sectors. This highly rich yet vulnerable ecological zone is facing threats to its natural beauty as a result of climate change. Extensive flooding, drought, landslides, and forest fires are common in this region. Climate change poses potential risks in terms of loss of biodiversity, decreased agricultural productivity, increased health hazards from vector borne diseases like kalazar and malaria, and increased land conversion. The CCIFEH programme is focusing its efforts on vulnerability assessment of Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve from climate change. Efforts will made to develop community based adaptation strategies and implement these strategies in selected sites. Climate Witnesses from Koshi Tappur Wildlife Reserve periphery will also be identified to highlight the climate change impact in the downstream. Sandeep Chamling Rai

WWF Broadens Partnerships for new Freshwater Initiative

Kathmandu, Nepal - In recognition of the growing importance of freshwater resources in Nepal, WWF signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS), a Nepal government apex body for water resources, 22 June 2007 to partner on the Koshi River Basin Management (KRBM) that will help in conservation and freshwater use not only in Nepal but also in the region as a whole.

The integrated management of water resources in Koshi Basin in Nepal is the first initiative of its kind to execute the recommendation of the National Water Plan 2005. Under this new partnership, a working relationship will be established between WWF Nepal and Water and Energy Commission Secretariat to identify critical issues and complement capabilities in achieving a sustainable integrated river basin management strategy.

5 Vol 1 Issue 1 Climate Contours Protecting life in the Ganga, India

The CCIFEH programme, as a part of its mandate, is focussing on adaptation of communities and livelihoods and conservation of aquatic species in the Upper Ganga (UG) stretch, from Rishikesh to Narora. The river in this stretch is approx. 300km long and passes through the states of Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. It has been predicted that climate change would impact glacier melt as well as precipitation levels resulting in changes in the river regime, which in turn would impact inhabiting aquatic biodiversity and river- dependent livelihoods. The two focus species for study under the CCIFEH programme are the Ganges River Dolphin and the Freshwater Reverine Turtle. The Ganges dolphin is an aquatic mammal which is placed at the apex of the aquatic food chain. These dolphins are extremely sensitive to changes in water regimes and it is assumed that this results in modifications in their breeding and migratory behaviour. As turtles use river banks for their nesting sites, their survival Credit : WWF-India/Sandeep Behera and procreation is also greatly affected by changes in the river regime as these Releasing the Ganges dolphin in its natural habitat changes often result in flooding of their nesting areas. Along with biodiversity conservation, the project is also focussing on water quality and water balance in this stretch of the Ganga. The pilot sites for grassroot implementation and development are in Karnabas and Mubarakpur villages of Uttar Pradesh. The work carried out in these villages entails introducing the CCIFEH project mission and activities to the villagers, raising awareness on river pollution and implementing measures to reduce it, and introducing adaptation strategies to attune village communities towards future climate change posed risks and vulnerabilities. The programme also reaches out to local fishermen to educate and enable them on methods of 'sustainable fishing' and how to release bycatch, during fishing activities. Dr Sandeep Behera

People and Mangroves, Sundarbans, India

On the east coast of India, lies a cluster of 102 low-lying islands in the Bay of Bengal, famous for its unique mangrove forests. The Sundarbans delta, spread across India and Bangladesh, is the largest mangrove ecosystem in the world but is now losing its land resources to the rising sea level and coastline erosion. Studies suggest that climate change is leading to increased salinity and higher tidal surges, permanent submergence of land mass and increased vulnerability of communities and biodiversity. It has been found out that the relative mean sea level in Sagar island and adjoining areas of the Bay of Bengal is rising at the rate of 3.14 mm per year (Hazra et al. 2002). The projected loss of area for 12 of the most vulnerable sea- facing islands by 2020 is between 3 per cent and 32 per cent.

The CCIFEH Programme has selected Mousuni island, in India, out of the 54 inhabited islands, as a pilot site to observe and study these impacts and to introduce adaptation strategies in the villages of this island to combat the effects of climate

change. Mousuni is a small island, covering about 24 sq km, with a population of Credit : WWF-India/Rajneesh Sareen 20,000. There are sand beaches on the western and southern sides; the rest of the Remnants of 2005 embankment shore is mud.

Shore erosion is a normal phenomenon in an active delta but takes place very gradually. However, in the recent years this island has been facing acute problem of accelerated coastline erosion as well as periodic flooding of homestead and productive agricultural lands. This has a major impact on livelihoods as rice cultivation is the main activity on the island. Climate change is forcing the inhabitants of the island to change crops or shift to later months. Moreover, the cultivation of some crops have been seriously hampered as there is a marked shift in paddy planting season, which has been pushed by two months over the last 30 years, squeezing out whatever little scope there was for a third crop.

Anurag Danda

Scientific Research

The CCIFEH programme is generating a better understanding of climate change impacts on fresh water ecosystems by researching glacial melt and discharge patterns of glaciers in the Himalayas, and establishing a correlation between glacier retreat and river run off by using the Two Degree Model scenario. The Two Degree Model scenario is a global temperature rise model, accepted by WWF, to ascertain the impacts on the environment if the global mean temperature rises by two degrees, and to develop mitigation strategies to deal with and reverse these impacts.

The Programme is also focussing its research methodologies individually on the two countries and their indigenous glaciers. Listed below is information relating to these glaciers.

6 Living with Change: Biodiversity, Communities and Livelihoods July 2007 India

As part of the CCIFEH Project focus on the Himalayas, two key glaciers, Gangotri and Chota Sigri, in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh respectively, will be monitored through direct field interventions as well as media campaigns.

Both Gangotri and Chota Sigri are bench mark glaciers which have shown regular retreat and shrinkage of ice mass in the past few years. Research has indicated that climate change has affected this retreat. The results from studies on these two glaciers will help focus to scale up the level of work related to impacts on climate change to include other areas in the neighbouring region. Recent surveys indicate that Gangotri continues be in a state of stress which is being reflected by the sharp crevasse formation which has further led to the falling of ice mass from the snout position. The year 2006 in particular saw a rapid change in the snout structure as compared to previous years indicating the ill health of the glacier.

Under the Regional Programme, field work and data collection will be carried out at the site. This will include Global Positioning System (GPS) points at the snout, or the lowest end of the glacier, as well as surrounding areas including the down stream river discharge zones. As Gangotri is a major source of water for the river Ganga there is considerable media interest in this glacier and the Climate Change team will help promote a media campaign to educate the masses about its status.

Mass balance studies on smaller bench mark glaciers will be carried out with help from partner scientific institutions along with technical support and advice from glaciologists. The Indira Gandhi Conservation Monitoring Centre at WWF-India, which specializes in Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) analysis, will help in the interpretation and data analysis of the satellite imageries for both the glaciers. Dr Prakash Rao

As part of the Applied Research component of the CCIFEH programme, a new Automatic Weather Station (AWS) has been purchased for installation at Gangotri glacier in India, in September 2007. This will improve the efficiency of field data collection and will provide valuable input for mass balance studies. The improved features of this research tool will allow it to read Barometric Pressure, temperature, humidity, rain, rain rate and rain storm. It also reads and records wind chill, direction and speed, in addition to heat index and sunrise/sunset. The added feature list does not end without noteworthy mention of it ability to forecast local weather. At present the AWS has been installed at WWF-India's office in New Delhi for its trial run. After completing some month of testing, theAWS will be installed at Gangotri in September 2007.

Anne-Marie Singh Credit: WWF-India/Anne-Marie Singh

Automatic Weather Station at WWF-India's office Nepal

Under the Applied Research component of the CCIFEH programme in Nepal, both primary and secondary data will be collated on Ngozumpa and Khumbu glaciers of Nepal to study anddetermine glacial melt and discharge patterns.

To implement this, the Climate Change and Energy team of WWF Nepal will consolidate secondary data from various organizations such as International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) and Ev-K2-CNR to enhance the understanding the issues related with Dudh Koshi River.

Primary data will be collected through an Automatic Weather Station (AWS) and a Hydrological Station (HS) installed at Ngozumpa Glacier. This AWS is installed in the

Credit: WWF Nepal/Sandeep Chaming Rai right lateral moraine of Ngozumpa Glacier at an altitude of 4832 meter above sea River originating from Ngozumpa glacier level. The HS had been installed below Phanka. Likewise, a new AWS and HS have been purchased for installation at . The AWS will be installed around 4900 meter above sea level and the HS on the Khumbu Khola just below Thukla. Both of these pieces of equipment have been handed over to DHM, Nepal on 4 July 2007 and will be installed at Khumbu Glacier in due course of time. These installed weather stations will produce valuable primary data which will be used for correlation for running climate change models.ATwo degree scenario model will be predicted for the Koshi River basin at the end of the project. Sandeep Chamling Rai

To standardize different research parameters for Applied Research on glaciers, a Regional Workshop was organized on 13 May 2007 in Kathmandu, Nepal. Researchers from Birla Institute of Technology, India; Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM), Nepal and ICIMOD were present at the workshop in addition to staff from the CCIFEH Programme, WWF Nepal and WWF-India.

7 Chota Sigri Glacier Credit : WWF-India/Prakash Rao Broadening the horizons of WWF work on Climate Change issues

AScope of Cooperation (SoC) between WWF Nepal and the Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology(MoEST) was endorsed by the Hon Minister Mahanta Thakur on 20 June 2007. This five-year partnership will enable WWF Nepal to implement climate change and energy projects in Nepal jointly with the ministry at key locations in the country. This marks a diversification in the WWF-partnership portfolio within the Government of Nepal. Since great emphasis is laid on the benefits of partnerships, the endorsement of the SoC is an important new direction for our climate change work.

Going Nowhere Fast: Top Rivers Face Mounting Threats The world's top water suppliers - rivers on every continent are drying-out threatening severe water shortages. Poor planning and inadequate protection of natural areas mean we can no longer assume that water will flow forever, says WWF. In its latest report, World's Top 10 Rivers at Risk, released ahead of World Water Day (March 22), the global conservation organization lists the top ten rivers that are fast dying as a result of over extraction, climate change, pollution and dams. “All the rivers in the report symbolize the freshwater crisis, signalled for years, but the alarm is falling on deaf ears,” says Ravi Singh, Secretary General and CEO, WWF-India. “Like the climate change crisis, which now has the attention of business and government, we want leaders to take notice of the emergency facing freshwater now not later.” Two of the ten rivers are in the Indian subcontinent, Ganges and Indus, which are severely impacted by over extraction and climate change respectively. The other rivers are Yangtze, Mekong, and Salween inAsia, Europe's Danube, theAmericas' L Plata and Rio Grande/Rio Bravo, Africa's Nile-Lake Victoria andAustralia's Murray-Darling. The Ganges is facing serious threat owing to increased water withdrawals. In India, barrages control all of the tributaries to the Ganges and divert roughly 60% of river flow to large scale irrigation. Over-extraction for agriculture in the Ganges has caused the reduction in surface water resources, increasing dependence on ground water, loss of water-based livelihoods and the destruction of habitat for 109 fish species and other aquatic and amphibian fauna. The report call sin governments to better protect river flows and water allocations in order to safeguard habitats and people's livelihoods. “Conservation of rivers and wetlands must be seen as part and parcel of national security, health and economic success,” Mr Singh adds. “Emphasis must be given to exploring ways of using water for crops and products that do not use more water than necessary.” In addition, cooperative agreements for managing shared resources, such as UN Watercourses Convention, must be ratified and given the resources to make them work, says WWF. “The freshwater crisis is bigger than the ten rivers listed in this report but it mirrors the extent to which unabated development is jeopardizing nature's ability to meet our growing demands,” says Mr Singh. “We must change our mindset now or pay the price in the not so distant future.” WWF-India, through its Freshwater and Wetlands programme, works for sustainable management of wetlands for biodiversity conservation and human well-being across the country. Additionally as part of the regional initiative, WWF-India is working towards generating better understanding of climate change impacts on Ganga River ecosystems and vulnerable communities for the development of adaptation strategies helping towards minimizing impacts upon ecosystems, people and livelihoods.

Contact us : WWF-India Rajneesh Sareen Secretariat Regional Coordinator 172-B Lodi Estate CCIFEH Programme New Delhi-110 003, India [email protected] Tel: +91 11 4150 4815, 4150 4819 Dir: +91 11 4351 6202 Fax: + 91 11 4150 4779 Anne-Marie Singh www.wwfindia.org Regional Communication Officer CCIFEH Programme WWF Nepal [email protected] Programme Office P.O.Box 7660 Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +977-1-4434820, 4434970, 4410942 Fax: +977-1-4438458 www.wwfnepal.org

for a livingplanet For further information please visit : www.ccifeh.org