Sustainable Mountain Development in the Hindu Kush – Himalaya

The Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC), a participant in the Mountain Partnership Consortium (MPC), provided financial support for undertaking the study. The views expressed in this document are those of the authors, and do not necessarily reflect the views of their organizations or of SDC. The mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) are abundant in natural resources. These unique landscapes provide valuable ecosystem goods and services to support livelihoods of more than 1.3 billion people – directly and indirectly. But the harsh terrain and lack of enabling institutional frameworks and policies have constrained and pose serious challenges to sustainable development of this important mountain system. The region includes four global biodiversity hotspots, 330 important bird areas, and 60 global eco-regions. The 488 protected areas in the HKH provide vital ecosystem goods and services to more than 1.5 billion people in the uplands and the lowlands. The greater Himalayas – the water tower of Asia – is the source of 10 major river systems that support water supply, food production, biodiversity, and energy generation in the region, including supporting the two fast-growing economies of India and China. The region is home to more than 40% of the world's poor but is also one that faces ‗extreme' vulnerability and risks due to climate and global changes. Progressive warming at higher altitudes has been three to five times the global average. The region has witnessed increased snow and glacial melt and the frequency of extreme events have exacerbated the livelihood risks resulting from increasing poverty, food insecurity, natural hazards and social inequities. Climate-induced changes have not only made it difficult for mountain countries to attain the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) but also threaten to slow down or even reverse the progress made so far. The HKH countries face frequent food and energy crises and growing social and political unrest, while the climate impacts have shrunk development space while progress on past global commitments to sustainable development remains slow. The Rio+20 conference is an opportunity for the HKH region to take stock of progress made towards meeting the Sustainable mountain development goals defined in Agenda 21/Chapter 13. This report assesses constraints and opportunities in three major areas: environmental quality, economic development, and social equity. It examines community-level progress by studying people-centric, vertically integrated, and participatory efforts made since Rio '92. It also reviews policies, legal instruments, and programmes aimed at benefitting mountain people and …