People’s current local responses to the challenges of dealing with too much water, and too little water, in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region were discussed at a side event organised by ICIMOD and IIED (International Institute for Environment and Development) at the World Water Week in Stockholm on Thursday 9th September. Participants stressed the importance of supporting adaptation to floods and drought in the region, which has been further highlighted by events during this monsoon season. “The recent extreme floods in Pakistan have underlined the need for countries to be better prepared for extreme weather events”, says Andreas Schild, Director General, ICIMOD. “Adequate adaptation practices need to be strengthened and people’s local capacities to adapt need to be supported and enforced”, he stressed. Even hardy mountain populations, adapted for centuries to survival in extreme environments, are faced with such unusual events that their traditional strategies are sometimes rendered inadequate, forcing them to focus on acute survival, rather than long-term adaptation, and jeopardising economic and social development. Read More
