Shimla, March 22 (IANS) There are strong indications that the Hindu Kush, a mountain range extending west of the Himalayas, would be warmer and precipitation would increase, international water experts said on Sunday.
They favoured effective flood management that requires sharing data and information between the upstream and downstream areas, not only within the country but also at the trans-boundary level.
"Technological innovations based on satellite information, in combination with ground-based data, can be transformed into information that can prove vital in saving lives and properties," Santosh Nepal and Arun B. Shrestha, water experts for the Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), said.
The Hindu Kush Himalayan region depends on water resources for irrigation, food, hydropower, sanitation, and industry, as well as for the functioning of many important ecosystem services.
World Water Day falls on Sunday and this year's United Nations theme is 'Water and sustainable development'.
In a write-up, 'The Himalayan waters: Complex challenges and regional solutions', the experts said agriculture is a major contributor to the gross domestic product (GDP) of countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region.
In Nepal, it contributes to 35 percent of the national GDP. The Indus River system is a source of irrigation for about 144,900 hectares of land, whereas the Ganga basin provides irrigation for 156,300 hectares of agricultural land.
The experts said Koshi Flood Outlook being developed by ICIMOD and its national partners in Nepal and India have high potential for saving lives and properties in the basin.
Such efforts should be promoted widely in the region, they said.
During the Jure landslide in August 2014 in Nepal's Sindhupalchowk district, in which the Sunkoshi river was blocked for several days, a great concern emerged from the Indian side regarding the status of the landslide and the likelihood of an outburst flood.
The flood outlook was helpful in providing important information. This example shows that disaster risk reduction could be an entry point for immediate regional cooperation, said the article.
It warned that due to its physical setting, the Hindu Kush Himalayan region is prone to various water-induced hazards.
Every year during the monsoon, the floods bring havoc to the mountains and the plains downstream. These floods are often trans-boundary. Globally, 10 percent of all floods are trans-boundary and they cause over 30 percent of all flood casualties.
Many big rivers like the Sindhu (Indus), Ganga and the Brahmaputra originate from the snow and glacier covered high mountains, and have abundant seasonal and annual water supply.
According to the experts, climate change has exacerbated the situation by creating uncertainty about the future water availability and water security.
They said understanding the characteristics of water is crucial for sustainable water management.
UP Unlock: Partial relaxation in corona curfew from one date in Uttar Pradesh, no relief in districts with active cases
Due to increasing cases of second strain in coronavirus infection, the corona curfew implemented in the state from May 1 will be partially relaxed from June 1. During this period, relief will not be
Sharmaji Namkeen Review: Life should be salty, not spicy, Rishi Kapoor taught the world as he went
The film 'Sharmaji Namkeen' has a different place in the films and web series released or released this week. The emotional bond that the audience of Hindi cinema is building with this film, may not
Modi government's big decision for farmers - this year the prices of these fertilizers will not increase, also announced to increase the subsidy
Modi cabinet has taken a big decision for the farmers. The central government has decided not to increase the prices of phosphatic and potashic fertilizers for this year. Along with this, the
Earthquake: 6.8 magnitude earthquake in Tajikistan, PM Modi inquired about the situation, and India is coordinating help
Earthquake tremors were felt in Tajikistan and Afghanistan on Thursday morning. The epicenter of the earthquake was in Tajikistan, 265 km from Faizabad in Afghanistan. Here the earth trembled twice
Money Laundering Act: All rights of ED including arrest, raid, and summons are right, Supreme Court's big decision
The Supreme Court has given a big decision on the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). In a setback to the people trapped in the case registered by the Enforcement Directorate, the court has
Effect of pre-monsoon: 57 killed in 3 states including Bihar, 7 lakh people affected by floods in Assam; Rain warning till 21-24 May
Before the monsoon, thunderstorms and rain have come the devastation in some states. Bihar, Assam, and Karnataka are the only three states where 57 people have lost their lives due to lightning and
In AIIMS, 10 thousand registrations were done in 10 hours; But only 100 healthy people aged 18 to 55 years are getting the vaccine
The human trials of the country's first self-vaccine vaccine starts in AIIMS Delhi on Monday. AIIMS Delhi is one of the 14 institutes in the country that have been allowed by the ICMR for Phase I and
Farmer Protest: Women came to show the border to their children, and said - it is here that the farmers of Punjab were attacked.
The atmosphere remained peaceful at the Shambhu border on Sunday. However, there was a lot of crowd at the border. Even women reached the border with their children. The women said that they had
T20 World Cup: Rohit Sharma thanked PM Modi, expressed happiness over the victory of the Indian team, also talked on the phone
Captain Rohit Sharma, who won the ICC trophy for India after 11 years, on Monday thanked PM Modi for his wishes. Hitman expressed his gratitude for his wishes by retweeting the Prime Minister's tweet.
Team India lost due to poor fielding in the last overs: hit wickets worshiped, Virat's brilliant catch; Watch the moments of the match
Due to poor fielding in the last over, Team India lost the first ODI against Bangladesh by one wicket. Bangladesh needed 51 runs to win and the last pair were on the field. During this, there were
