The Himalayan region is considered to be the world’s youngest mountain ecosystem and is aptly called the water tower of Asia covering over 33,000 sq. kms of glaciers and providing 8.6x10⁶ cubic m of freshwater to rivers draining from the mountains annually. Recent WWF and other studies have identified temperature rise as the cause of increasing glacier melt in India and Nepal. The rate and magnitude of temperature rise, coupled with changes in water flow regime from run off are key factors determining the social and ecological implications of climate change. The greatest impacts will be felt by large river systems like the Ganga which are predominantly fed by the flow from the glaciers. Millions of people in India and Nepal are dependent on these river systems and the basins for their livelihoods and enhanced ecosystems stress can threaten both humans and biodiversity. The limited adaptive capacity of communities and biodiversity can therefore lead to regional imbalances in the economic growth and development of the subcontinent. Decreased river flow can also adversely affect the power generation and irrigation potential for many countries in the region. The CCIFEH project in India and Nepal has a long term vision aimed at minimising the impacts of climate change for selected communities and ecosystems in Himalayan river basins. By 2015 the programme seeks to implement concrete adaptation measures through improved understanding of climate impacts. Influencing local, national and regional policy processes will form an important element of the project towards mitigating the impact of Green House Gas (GHG) emissions on water resources,agriculture,powerand energy.

The project will carry out preliminary research for better understanding of climate related impacts in Himalayan systems like glacier retreat, glacier lake outburst flood (GLOF) and river basins. Based on model scenario development, the project will take up specific ada ptation strategies in strategic locations in India and Nepal leading to improved resilience of natural ecosystems and vulnerable communities. The project results will help develop policy advocacy material for national decision makers and regional institutions and treati es like ICIMOD and SAARC. At the international level the project envisages policy advoc-acy at forums like United Nations Framework Conventionon Climate Change (UNFCCC) and Centre for Biological Diversity (CBD) to raise the urgency of addressing climate change as an important issue for sectors like water, agriculture and energy through communications and awareness-related activities.

The programme works with a wide range of partner institutions and civil society groups of which many have a long history of collaboration with WWF. Scientific institutions like the Department of Science and Technology in India and the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology (DHM) in Nepal will be key partners for the initial research on glaciers where Automatic Weather Stations would be set up.The existing capacity of the Climate Change and Freshwater teams in WWF-India and WWF Nepal along with research bodies, state government institutions, NGOs and local village communities will facilitate the implement ation of adaptation activities as part of the project.