Adaptation policy and practice in densely populated glacier-fed river basins of South Asia: a systematic review

Sud, Ridhima; Mishra, Arabinda; Varma, Navarun; Bhadwal, Suruchi

doi:10.1007/s10113-014-0711-z

Cited by 43 publications

(26 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In reviewing the state of the climate change vulnerability field, the paper contributes to a growing body of environmental change scholarship that seeks to systematically and transparently assess the state of knowledge in a given area , Lorenz et al 2014, McDowell et al 2014, Porter et al 2014, Sud et al 2015. Such review work is of particular importance for the vulnerability scholarship, where rapid increases in publishing across disciplines have made it difficult for individual researchers and research teams to keep abreast of key developments.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-level climate change vulnerability research: trends, progress, and future directions

McDowell

Ford

Jones

2016

Environ. Res. Lett.

121

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This study systematically identifies, characterizes, and critically evaluates community-level climate change vulnerability assessments published over the last 25 years (n=274). We find that while the field has advanced considerably in terms of conceptual framing and methodological approaches, key shortcomings remain in how vulnerability is being studied at the community-level. We argue that vulnerability research needs to more critically engage with the following: methods for evaluating future vulnerability, the relevance of vulnerability research for decision-making, interdependencies between social and ecological systems, attention to researcher / subject power dynamics, critical interpretation of key terms, and consideration of the potentially positive opportunities presented by a changing climate. Addressing these research needs is necessary for generating knowledge that supports climate-affected communities in navigating the challenges and opportunities ahead.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community-level climate change vulnerability research: trends, progress, and future directions

McDowell

Ford

Jones

2016

Environ. Res. Lett.

121

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“…Finally, the paper points out some geographical differences in the actors engaging in the adaptation and policy discourse in various deltas (e.g., mainly state in the case of the Nile, as opposed to a mixture of state and local actors in the Brahmaputra), which can suggest directions for comparative research. Sud et al (2015) conduct a similar review for the densely populated glacier-fed river basins of South Asia. Flood control and trans-boundary water management are the key issues in this hot spot.…”

Section: Deltasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Vulnerability to climate change in three hot spots in Africa and Asia: key issues for policy-relevant adaptation and resilience-building research

Kituyi²,

et al. 2015

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Providing sound evidence to inform decisionmaking that considers the needs of the most vulnerable to climate change will help both adaptation and development efforts. Such evidence is particularly important in climate change ''hot spots'', where strong climate signal and high concentrations of vulnerable people are present. These hot spots include semiarid regions and deltas of Africa and Asia, and glacier-and snowpack-dependent river basins of South Asia. In advance of a major research effort focusing on these three hot spots, studies were commissioned to identify and characterize the current status of knowledge in each on biophysical impacts, social vulnerability, and adaptation policy and practice. The resulting seven papers are brought together in this special edition, with this editorial introduction providing background on these hot spots, the program through which the studies were commissioned, and an overview of the papers that follow.

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“…Glacial-fed river basins in South Asia, originating in the Hindu-Kush Himalayan region and Tibetan plateau, provide goods and services to some 1.5 billion people, particularly the dependent and densely populated areas in the floodplains downstream (Singh et al 2011;Sud et al 2015). These 'water towers' (Bocchiola et al 2011) help sustain downstream populations by providing water for consumptive (e.g.…”

Section: Characteristics Of the Hotspot Regionsmentioning

confidence: 99%

A review of the biophysical impacts of climate change in three hotspot regions in Africa and Asia

Kilroy

2015

Reg Environ Change

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A systematic review was conducted of biological and physical climate change impacts in three hotspot regions in Africa and Asia. Specifically, the review focused on identifying the nature and extent of biophysical impacts in semi-arid zones, mega-deltas and glacial-fed river basins. In total 139, peer-reviewed articles were reviewed, with a steady increase in relevant articles reported since 2006. Publications on the South Asian glacial-fed river basins were the most numerous followed by semi-arid areas and then deltas, with Central Asia and some African countries being the most under represented. The nature and extent of impacts varied for each hotspot area and were largely determined by the geographical context and intrinsic characteristics of each region. River basin publications were dominated by impacts concerning hydrology, highlighting the importance of glacial-fed water resources to downstream populations. Semi-arid regions were dominated by impacts to climate processes and impacts to livestock and vegetation highlighting the importance of rainfall to the ecosystems and the livelihoods of communities in these regions. In contrast, delta studies were dominated by a focus on hazards, predominantly coastal inundation, reflecting the concentration of populations and assets in these areas. Uncertainties associated with the biophysical impacts on these regions under a changing climate are documented and represent key knowledge gaps. Common information gaps for all hotspot regions were the need for improved hydro-meteorological monitoring systems. The development of climate change adaptation strategies and policies should be supported by a sound knowledge and understanding of the full range of biophysical impacts, which are characteristic to each geographical location.

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Adaptation policy and practice in densely populated glacier-fed river basins of South Asia: a systematic review

Cited by 43 publications

References 52 publications

Community-level climate change vulnerability research: trends, progress, and future directions

Community-level climate change vulnerability research: trends, progress, and future directions

Vulnerability to climate change in three hot spots in Africa and Asia: key issues for policy-relevant adaptation and resilience-building research

A review of the biophysical impacts of climate change in three hotspot regions in Africa and Asia

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