'Livelihood should be central to development in HKH nations'

Kathmandu, Dec. 3: Hindu-Kush Himalaya (HKH) countries as well as the development partners Sunday said that livelihood should be the central element in development, environment management and resilience building of the mountain communities.

"We must couple biodiversity conservative efforts in the region with income generation and enhancement of standards of living of the inhabitants of the mountains," said President Bidya Devi Bhandari during her inaugural address of the international conference on 'Resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya: Developing solutions towards a sustainable future of Asia'.

The four-day conference, organised by the Ministry of Population and Environment and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and supported by the European Union (EU), is attended by more than 300 scientists, ministers, policymakers, youth leaders, businessmen, development partners, bureaucrats and community leaders.

The conference will focus on ideas and solutions to create effective and sustainable changes to improve mountain livelihoods.  

According to the President, to maintain equilibrium between humankind and nature, it is vital to strike a judicious balance between natural and geographic sensitivity and economic development.

She highlighted the need for initiatives on the part of governments for continued evolution and implementation of climate adaptive programs with mobilization of local communities that are directly involved in sustainable biodiversity conservation.

Gyan Chandra Acharya, Advisor to the Prime Minister of Nepal and former United Nations Under-Secretary General, urged the HKH countries to find integrated solutions for social, economic and environmental challenges.

"Individuals or communities should be empowered with entrepreneurial skills, access to finance and energy, market linkages and value chain development," he said.

Australian Ambassador to Nepal Peter Budd indicated towards the need of the capacity building of the policymakers so that they could make informed decisions for their people.

He said that the governments must organise policy dialogue with the communities, create market link and increase access to finance, and develop quality infrastructure for the delivery of goods and services.

Former Member of the National Planning Commission Bimala Rai Poudyal said that the diversified livelihood opportunity could be an entry-point to the resilient communities in the HKH region.

Chair of ICIMOD Board and secretary of Bhutan Government, Dasho Rinzin Dorji called for also addressing the issues like psychological wellbeing, cultural vitality and happiness of people.

Sonam Wangchuk, Founding Director of SECMOL, an alternative school in Ladakh, India, was for teaching about mountain, sustainable entrepreneurship, and resilience methods in schools.

Collective efforts needed

The policy makers and experts also emphasised on the need of collective efforts of the governments to create resilient communities in the mountains.

"Collective cooperation and support among the Hindu Kush Himalaya nations is crucial for the wellbeing and overall development of the region," said President Bhandari.

Acharya said that regional and global partnerships were important in order to arrange financial resources that needed to empower people with skills and tools of resilience.

He urged the international community to make sure that the mountain countries have better access to resources and finance, and support in technology adaptation.

Advisor to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh Gowher Rizvi said that together the South Asian countries could achieve the impossible with collaboration, cooperation and innovative solutions.

Member of the Niti Aayog of India V. K. Saraswat also pointed towards the need or intergovernmental collaboration in addressing the climate issues such as floods in South Asia.

According to Dr. David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, decisions on mountain are best made through cooperation, collaboration and networking.

The HKH sources 10 major river systems in Asia that provide water, ecosystem services and livelihood to more than 210 million people.

The region holds and distributes water for more than 1.3 billion people living in downstream river basins.

"Climate change and other drivers of change in the HKH have already begun to impact ecosystems and communities increasing vulnerability and exposure to natural disasters such as floods, droughts and landslides," said Dr. Molden.