About the workshop and meeting

The workshop will review the work of stakeholders in the field of cryosphere science in Bhutan and Pakistan, particularly members of HUC. During this workshop, the HUC Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Cryosphere and Society will present their work, including an introduction to modelling and field methods and the potential for upscaling. The TWG will also share ongoing work in Bhutan and the Upper Indus basin on climate change impacts on livelihoods, ecosystems, hydrosphere, and cryosphere.

The first half of the workshop will focus on the ongoing project led by the University of Bristol. Our partners will then present their work, which will provide an overview of the ongoing challenges related to cryosphere hazards and society in the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

The first meeting of the core group of HUC’s TWG on Cryosphere and Society took place in March 2021. This follow-up meeting will update members of the progress and consolidate the Group’s governance structure and draft a concrete workplan for 2022. 

The two events pay close attention to the diversity of stakeholders and unites academics and practitioners from across the region. 

Expected outputs

In addition to a consolidated governance structure for HUC’s TWG on Cryosphere and Society, this workshop will contribute to the following three outputs: 

• A mapped potential partner landscape in cryosphere hazards and society for the UIB. This will be useful for ICIMOD and partners to navigate the field. HUC has already fostered several exchanges between partners in Pakistan, which has prepared the ground for future collaborations and strengthened our role as a knowledge broker.
• A brief outline of the knowledge gaps and needs in the field of cryosphere, hazards, and society in the HKH and a draft roadmap for future research and action.
• A tailored infrastructure risk assessment tool and its application in the region, which will be presented and discussed during the workshop.

Expected participants 

In-person participants include social scientists from HUC and ICIMOD strategic knowledge partners in Pakistan: Karakoram International University (KIU); University of Punjab; LUMS, Lahore; Information Technology University, Lahore; University of Peshawar; University of Baltistan; COMSATS University Islamabad/Abbottabad; and Aga Khan Agency for Habitat's (AKAH). 

Virtual participants include members of HUC’s TWG on Cryosphere and Society in Afghanistan, Bhutan, China, and HUC Associate Members in Europe, North America, and Central Asia. Selected representatives from fellow TWGs and cross-cutting workgroups will be attending as observers. 

Background

The Upper Indus Basin is one of the most vulnerable basins when it comes to water and ice as a resource. It has been impacted by an exceptionally high number of hydrosphere-related disasters, including glacial lake outburst floods, debris flows, landslides, fluvial and pluvial floods, as well as rapid erosion and sedimentation. While a number of studies on hazards  have looked into the physical processes associated with these disasters, investigations including impact assessments on both livelihoods and ecosystems, especially with the inclusion of local experiences and knowledge, are largely lacking. Under a completely different climate regime, Bhutan faces similar challenges in remoter headwaters. Multiple studies have documented devastating events and their impacts in the region; however, transdisciplinary approaches to address these are lacking.

Agenda

Arrival and orientation – Sunday, 27 March 2022