11 December 2015: Three international scientific research agencies have published an atlas describing the impacts of climate change in five Asian river basins. Commemorating International Mountains Day (IMD), the publication, titled ‘The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas: Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in Five of Asia’s Major River Basins,’ was launched at a side event to the Paris Climate Change Conference.

The atlas is intended as a guidebook to support policy making on adaptation, and covers the Indus, Brahmaputra, Ganges, Salween and Mekong river basins. It predicts increased temperatures in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, glacier loss, and a higher incidence of floods and droughts, with more erratic and extreme weather events. The atlas draws on research conducted under the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP), and also presents recommendations for policy makers.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Centre for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo (CICERO) and GRID-Arendal, a centre collaborating with the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) came together to produce the atlas, which was funded by the Governments of Norway and Sweden. [Publication: The Himalayan Climate and Water Atlas: Impact of Climate Change on Water Resources in Five of Asia’s Major River Basins] [ICIMOD Press Release]