The Himalayan region is facing a new crisis under climate change, rapid economic transformation, and escalating geopolitical tensions. A large body of Himalayan sciences has endeavored to understand this challenge but has failed to engage meaningfully with the local people and policymakers. We support and advise governments, scientific communities and local people to work together for a new engaged Himalayan sustainability science that not only understands and interprets the emerging challenges but also strengthens societal capability.
Currently our work includes:
- Collaboration with International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on the assessment of Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) environment and development (With IFSD Principal Advisor Dr Hemant Ojha contributing as Coordinating Lead author of Governance theme).
- Provide advisory services to HKH regional and national agencies through Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade’s Australian Water Partnership (AWP) program
- Assess climate risks to the Himalayan South Asia
- partners with Southasia Institute of Advanced Studies to design and promote urban water policy labs
- Create a community of practice around Himalayan agriculture and contribute to scientific analysis of agriculture and food security situations of Nepal (IFSD Advisors Dr Jagadish Timsina and Dr Hemant Ojha are co-editing a book on Nepal’s food security together with other scholars, with Springer publishing the book).
- Facilitating urban water security network focusing on India to share knowledge and foster collaboration
- Co-organising Himalayan Resilience Policy Lab involving researchers, policy makers, and practitioners
