Skip Ribbon Commands
Skip to main content

 Overview of LAKI Phase II for Hindu Kush Himalayas

In a bid to address critical gaps in adaptation planning and implementation in Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), UN Climate Change, the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) Global Adaptation Network (GAN), Asia-Pacific Adaptation Network (APAN) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) are collaborating to implement second phase of the LAKI for the HKH. ICIMOD serves as a sub-regional coordination entity for the HKH. 

Pre-engagement: 

The process involved engaging with partners through regional events, such as the events organized during the 8th APAN Forum and the Asia-Pacific Climate Week 2023.  Furthermore, as part of the stocktake, relevant organizations and their initiatives were mapped in the Hindu Kush Himalayas. This was followed by one-to-one engagements with respective experts from these organizations. As a result of this exercise, the outputs addressing several of these persistent knowledge gaps have been collated. These outputs have been added in the table below.  

Expert meetings: 

Two virtual meetings have been convened, together with relevant partners and institutions in the sub region​ to discuss progress and co-design collaborative actions to address the priority knowledge gaps in the sub region.  

Most recent virtual expert meeting held in March 2024 convened 19 experts from 9 institutions resulting in 15 actions to address the priority knowledge gaps for Hindu Kush Himalayas. The exercise involved discussing and identification of opportunities for scaling up existing outputs/initiatives in the subregion. The outcomes have also led to increased understanding of applying monitoring, evaluation and learning framework for measuring the success of the LAKI outcomes in the HKH sub region. ​

Next steps: 

The next steps will include co-designing new actions and facilitating implementation of the actions in closing the knowledge gaps, in partnership with UNFCCC secretariat, including RCC MENA and South Asia, UNEP GAN, ICIMOD, and partners in the sub region. ​

​Table: Proposed actions to address the LAKI ​priority knowledge gaps for the HKH ​

​No  ​Thematic Area  ​Gap Description Cluster​ ​Knowledge Users ​Actions to close the
priority knowledge  gaps    		 Name of
Organizations​

 2 

Water 

Weak dissemination of evidence and successful water management practices, adaptation technologies, and water allocation and management during periods of scarcity and abundance 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3]

Water resource planners, policymakers, communities project managers 

Implement the Climate Resilient Cities Action Plan (CRCAP) Tool in the Hindukush region to enhance the resilience of the health and water sectors while raising awareness among stakeholders about the effects of climate change on these areas. The aim is to identify climate risk and adaptation measures to address the challenges. 

3 

Water 

Lack of access to awareness-raising products and early warning systems for multiple hazards (drought, landslide, debris flow, flooding, glacier lake outburst flood in the Himalayas and downstream communities) 

Lack of access [2] 

Early warning system designers, town and provincial planners/watershed managers, communities 

Implement the Climate Resilient Cities Action Plan (CRCAP) Tool in the Hindukush region to enhance the resilience of the health and water sectors while raising awareness among stakeholders about the effects of climate change on these areas. The aim is to identify climate risk and adaptation measures to address the challenges.  

4 

Agriculture 

Inadequate information and knowledge on adaptation options and technologies suitable to address context-specific climate extremes, impacts and risks for agriculture and the net effect of climate change at the local level 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

Farmers, extension agencies district agriculture officers and experts, technology users, policymakers, local non-governmental organizations  

Inform adaptation planning through data-based insights on multidimension food system risks. 
​6 ​Agriculture ​Limited access to traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge on agricultural adaptation ​ ​Lack of access [2]  ​
 ​Village elders, farming families, researchers, policymakers, agricultural extension workers, civil society organizations ​Implement collaborative multi-institutional project on mainstreaming traditional knowledge and indigenous knowledge for agricultural adaptation to address climate change impact.  ​ ​Govind Ballabh Pant 'National Institute of Himalayan Environment' (NIHE) 

7 

Water 

Poor translations of climate data and models into understandable formats 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

National–subnational planning departments, project managers, community leaders and members 

Create awareness on disasters’ impacts and risks for key sectors under different climate scenarios (current, 1.5 and 2 degree increase).

10 

Water 

Knowledge on how climate change is impacting on water source/usage/availability/quality (including sanitation/water treatment/water inputs for energy/springs and natural wells, groundwater, spring water and glaciers) 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

Watershed planners, settlement planners/energy planners, community leaders and civil society project managers 

Implement the Climate Resilient Cities Action Plan (CRCAP) Tool in the Hindukush region to enhance the resilience of the health and water sectors while raising awareness among stakeholders about the effects of climate change on these areas. The aim is to identify climate risk and adaptation measures to address the challenges.  

11 

Forestry and biodiversity 

Knowledge gap on methodologies and tools to quantify the impact of climate change on ecosystem services 

Lack of tools/methods [4] 

Researchers, academics ​

Assess the climate change adaptation and mitigation, economic and ecosystem value, and replication potential of plantation/forestry. 

 

Implement actionable research and model demonstration for generating knowledge and technology in the forestry and environmental science sector. 
​Implementation of Ecosystem based Adaptation (EbA) program with transboundary approach.

Accessing and using Long-Term Ecological Monitoring (LTEM) across the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) for determining climate change impact on plant biodiversity. ​		 ​​Govind Ballabh Pant 'National Institute of Himalayan Environment' (NIHE) ​

13 

​

Forestry and biodiversity 

​

Lack of adequate knowledge on the effects of climate change on biodiversity 

​

Lack of​ actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

​

Researchers, academics, policymakers, community members 

​

Strengthen the role of local communities in biodiversity conservation and resilience. 
​Implement collaborative projects addressing the effects of climate change on biodiversity in the Himalayan landscape. ​​​Govind Ballabh Pant 'National Institute of Himalayan Environment' (NIHE)  

14 

Forestry and biodiversity 

Need for repackaging the baseline data on the effects of climate change for forests and biodiversity for different target groups 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

Researchers, academics, practitioners 

Scaling up participatory forest landscape based adaptation.

16 

Water 

Insufficient climate change communication on impacts on water systems/availability to determine climate change impacts and inform decision-making in designing water resource plans and implementation 

Lack of actionable knowledge (e.g., in need of repackaging existing knowledge) [3] 

Communities, subnational government, non-technical stakeholders 

Create awareness on disasters’ impacts and risks for key sectors under different climate scenarios (current, 1.5- and 2-degree increase) as well as developing automated impact based forecasting tool for more detailed analysis.  

To map and identify the target hotspots/settlements or urban center which may suffer with water scarcity in the future. 
 To recommend a scenario model to gauge the rate of depletion of water sources and recommend a model for adaptation to sustain the future. 
 To enhance dissemination of evidence and successful water management practices, adaptation technologies, and water allocation and management during periods of scarcity and abundance. 

 
​​​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​In addition, partners also proposed to take some cross cutting actions:  

1) Strengthening the distribution and application of existing projects, outputs, or identified adaptation strategies by scaling-up initiatives, and integrating them i​nto relevant decision-making or policy-making processes. Additionally, funding opportunities for scaling up adaptation strategies in the Asia-Pacific/HKH region (Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research - APN). 

2) Cooperating to support further knowledge sharing, dissemination, and repackaging of knowledge for new, scaled-up, and tangible actions (APN/UNESCAP). 

3) Promoting knowledge sharing dissemination across HKH regions and priority knowledge gaps for data sharing, adaptation strategies, and success stories (APN / UNESCAP). 

4) Implementing integrated management of natural resources to ensure the sustainability of ecosystems, enhance biodiversity conservation, and support the well-being of local communities through adaptation to climate change ​​​(Govind Ballabh Pant 'National Institute of Himalayan Environment' (NIHE)). 
​
​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​