The Regional Programme, as a part of its mandate, is focussing on adaptation and conservation 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 Regional Programme are the Ganges River Dolphin and the Freshwater Riverine 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 and procreation is also greatly affected by changes in the river regime as these 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 implementation and development of the project are in Karnabas and Mubarakpur villages of Uttar Pradesh. The work carried out in these villages entails workshops to introduce the CCIFEH project mission and activities to the villagers, raise awareness on river pollution and implement measures to reduce it, and introduce adaptation strategies to improve water quality in the river. The project also reaches out to local fishermen to educate and enable them on methods of ‘sustainable fishing’ and how to release bycatch, during fishing activities.