The Nordic Development Fund (NDF) approved €10 million for the Hindu Kush Himalaya Climate Risk Management Initiative, led by the Asian Development Bank, to strengthen climate resilience in Asia, NDF said. The snow and ice in the Hindu Kush Himalaya mountains matter a lot for people and nature across the region. The glaciers feed Asia’s most important rivers, sustain irrigation, and provide fresh water for 2 billion people.
All of this is under threat. Climate change is speeding up and causing glaciers to disappear, disrupting water supplies and hammering people, ecosystems, and infrastructure. The consequences are severe: floods, landslides, and droughts are becoming more frequent and more disruptive. Tackling this climate-development-water nexus requires an integrated, basin-scale approach that builds resilience regionally and across sectors.
The initiative aims to do that by strengthening governance for better climate and water management, investing in grey and nature-based infrastructure to secure long-term resilience, and deepening understanding of climate risks and their impacts on communities. NDF is partnering with ADB through two complementary efforts: Building Adaptation and Resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalayas, which focuses on disaster risk management and multi-hazard early warning systems to protect lives and livelihoods; and the Resilient River Basin Initiative, which focuses on river-basin management and long-term water security.
Siv Ahlberg, Program Manager at NDF, said the emphasis on multi-hazard early warning systems, sustainable river basin management, and climate-resilient infrastructure will be key to protecting livelihoods and fostering sustainable development as climate risks mount.
“Overall, this multi-partner, multi-sectoral initiative represents a promising model for climate adaptation and resilience-building in mountain regions and beyond,” Ahlberg said.
NDF’s co-financing will enable technical expertise to support planning of tangible, on-the-ground solutions and foster collaboration between project partners. The initiative’s regional work will be guided by the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development, which is strongly supported by Nordic countries, especially Norway and Sweden, to promote sustainable development in vulnerable communities through climate resilience projects.
