Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
K. Naegeli, J. Franke, C. Neuhaus, N. Rietze, M. Stengel, X. Wu, S. Wunderle
Summary: Research on seasonal snow cover in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region reveals significant spatial and temporal variability, with decreasing trends observed across various time scales, indicating a shift in seasonality. This unique long-term dataset highlights the importance of seasonal snow cover for mountain ecosystems and downstream regions.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Review
Biodiversity Conservation
Nakul Chettri, Biraj Adhikari, Sunita Chaudhary, Kesang Wangchuk
Summary: Climate change is a major threat to biodiversity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. Despite scattered knowledge, there is a lack of comprehensive understanding of the impacts of climate change on biodiversity. A systematic literature review revealed a shift from sectoral to multidisciplinary research, with a focus on the Tibetan plateau and alpine ecosystem. However, there is less attention given to forest ecosystems and wetlands.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Arshad Ashraf, Muhammad Bilal Iqbal, Naveed Mustafa, Rozina Naz, Bashir Ahmad
Summary: The retreating behavior of glaciers in the Hindu Kush-Karakoram-Himalaya region has led to the formation and expansion of numerous glacial lakes, posing a high risk of glacial lake outburst floods for downstream communities. Using satellite data, the study identified 3044 lakes in the region in 2013, with 36 potentially dangerous glacial lakes. Regular monitoring of cryosphere changes and critical glacial lakes is essential for developing sustainable risk management strategies in the future.
ENVIRONMENTAL EARTH SCIENCES
(2021)
Review
Environmental Sciences
Purnamita Dasgupta, Bandana Shakya
Summary: Centre-staging ecosystem services can improve understanding on the flow of benefits from nature and trigger well-being-oriented responses in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. Mainstreaming ecosystem services addresses poverty, intersectionality, and enables holistic transformation. The Nature Futures Framework is used to develop action pathways for sustainability, showing the potential for positive impacts on both nature and society.
REGIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jack Rusk, Amina Maharjan, Prakash Tiwari, Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen, Sara Shneiderman, Mark Turin, Karen C. Seto
Summary: The population in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is concentrated in areas susceptible to multiple hazards, with nearly half living in areas vulnerable to more than one hazard. Current migration and urban expansion predominantly occur in areas prone to multiple hazards, indicating a continued increase in exposure to multi-hazards.
SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT
(2022)
Article
Forestry
Lili Zheng, Peili Shi, Minghua Song, Tiancai Zhou, Ning Zong, Xianzhou Zhang
Summary: In the Himalayan region, tree growth is found to be sensitive to climate warming, with responses varying depending on factors such as spring temperature, spring precipitation, and drought index. Different tree species exhibit varying levels of climate sensitivity, and overall tree growth sensitivity has increased since the 1950s but stabilized after the 1980s.
FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT
(2021)
Article
Plant Sciences
Lili Zheng, Narayan Prasad Gaire, Peili Shi
Summary: The study found that tree growth responds differently to climate changes in different regions, with tree growth in the western HKH and southeastern TP being correlated with different climate variables. With rapid warming, the influence of winter temperature on tree growth has weakened gradually.
JOURNAL OF PLANT ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Krishna K. C. Bahadur, Evan D. G. Fraser, Dan Wassmandorf, Edan Tzadok
Summary: Theoretically, climate change may allow agriculture in once unsuitable areas by creating warmer temperatures and more precipitation in mountainous regions. This paper assesses the potential of agricultural expansion in the Hindukush Himalaya by estimating the extent of Climate Change Driven Agricultural Frontiers (CCDAFs) and analyzing the potential impacts on ecosystem services. The results show that there is a significant potential for agricultural frontiers to emerge in the region by 2100, but developing these areas will have implications for carbon storage, soil quality, biodiversity, and water security.
ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH COMMUNICATIONS
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Multidisciplinary
Golam Rasul, Abid Hussain, Lipy Adhikari, David James Molden
Summary: This paper discusses the relationship between agrobiodiversity and food security in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region. It identifies the challenges to maintaining agrobiodiversity and explores potentials and opportunities for improving it to enhance food security and agricultural sustainability.
INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SUSTAINABILITY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Babar Zahoor, Xuehua Liu, Lalit Kumar, Yunchuan Dai, Bismay Ranjan Tripathy, Melissa Songer
Summary: Climate change poses a major threat to vulnerable species like the Asiatic black bear. Research in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region found extensive suitable habitats for the bear, but projected shifts towards higher elevations due to climate change may increase human-bear conflicts. Recommendations such as managing climate refugia, enhancing natural reserves, and improving monitoring of bear populations could help mitigate adverse impacts of climate change on bears.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2021)
Article
Meteorology & Atmospheric Sciences
Jonathan L. Case, Patrick N. Gatlin, Jayanthi Srikishen, Bhupesh Adhikary, Md. Abdul Mannan, Jordan R. Bell
Summary: Some of the most intense thunderstorms occur in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, but many organizations in this region lack the capacity to predict and respond to these weather threats. To solve this problem, a High-Impact Weather Assessment Toolkit (HIWAT) was developed, combining ensemble numerical weather prediction, satellite-based precipitation products, and land-imagery techniques. The toolkit efficiently packages ensemble output into products that can be easily understood by forecasters, helping in extreme weather forecasting services in underserved regions like HKH. In 2022, a custom version of HIWAT was installed at the Bangladesh Meteorological Department, providing real-time regional ensemble forecast guidance.
BULLETIN OF THE AMERICAN METEOROLOGICAL SOCIETY
(2023)
Article
Biodiversity Conservation
Divya Mehta, Rajiv Pandey, Ajay Kumar Gupta, Sirkku Juhola
Summary: Himalayan countries are implementing Nature-based Solutions to address ecological challenges and promote sustainable development. The results show that these solutions primarily use sustainable management, restoration, and conservation approaches to tackle societal and climatic challenges. The study highlights the importance of Nature-based Solutions in biodiversity conservation and climate risk management in the Himalayas.
ECOLOGICAL INDICATORS
(2023)
Article
Ecology
Ritam Dutta, Tanoy Mukherjee, Amira Sharief, Hemant Singh, Vineet Kumar, Bheem Dutt Joshi, Dhriti Banerjee, Mukesh Thakur, Lalit Kumar Sharma
Summary: The mountain ecosystems in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan (HKH) region are vulnerable to climate change and anthropogenic activities. The Yellow-Throated Marten (YTM) is a facultative predator that may lose much of its range by 2050 due to habitat loss and climate change, especially in the eastern part of the HKH landscape. Enhancing protection and improving habitat quality are necessary for the long-term viability of the species.
ECOLOGICAL INFORMATICS
(2022)
Article
Geography, Physical
Corey Scher, Nicholas C. Steiner, Kyle C. McDonald
Summary: The study utilized time series synthetic aperture radar imagery to analyze seasonal glacier melt dynamics in the Hindu Kush Himalayas region. It found that all glacier areas show some degree of melting, with durations spanning over two-thirds of the year at elevations below 4000 meters and nearly half of the year at elevations exceeding 7000 meters. These melt signals reflect broad-scale trends in glacier mass balance across the region.
Article
Environmental Sciences
Tzu-Hsin Karen Chen, Bhartendu Pandey, Karen C. Seto
Summary: The majority of future population growth in mountains will occur in small- and medium-sized cities and towns and affect vulnerable ecosystems. However, mountain settlements are often omitted from global land cover analyses due to the low spatial resolution of satellite images, which cannot resolve the small scale of mountains settlements. This study demonstrates the potential of deep learning to detect human settlements in mountains at the sub-pixel level, based on Landsat satellite imagery.
REMOTE SENSING OF ENVIRONMENT
(2023)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Edmund B. Mabhuye
Summary: Climate change poses a critical challenge to human well-being, particularly in terms of vulnerability and livelihood impact on communities. This study reveals the high vulnerability of communities in the western highlands of Tanzania to climate change and non-climate stress factors, including seasonal changes in rainfall and temperature, as well as the decrease in crop production and income.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Jiahui Qiu, Sharon Seah, Melinda Martinus
Summary: With ASEAN's rapid population and economic growth, its medium-term climate ambition becomes crucial to global mitigation efforts. Although all ASEAN Member States have communicated their ambitions through NDCs, the region still falls short of a 1.5 or 2-degree scenario. Assessing and comparing the NDCs is complex due to varying types of targets and actions. Through an assessment framework, AMS' strategies for raising mitigation ambition are examined, with the need for stronger economy-wide targets identified. Different groups with varying stages of progress in climate ambition among AMS are clarified, along with specific recommendations for each group.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2024)
Article
Environmental Sciences
Yi Cai, Wene Qi, Famin Yi
Summary: This study evaluates the treatment effects of ICT-based extension service (IES) use on fertilizer knowledge and use efficiency among litchi farm households in southern China. The results show that IES use significantly improves fertilizer effectiveness, procedural and declarative knowledge, and increases fertilizer use efficiency.
ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENT
(2024)
