Himalayan Freshwaters Workshop #2


Assessing the Services and Vulnerability of Freshwater Ecosystems in the Himalayas


ICIMOD, Kathmandu, Nepal

Summary of the workshop

A one-day workshop on Himalayan Freshwater was held at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (#ICIMOD) on May 21, 2024. This workshop was part of a series of annual workshops, the first workshop was held in India in 2023, and the third workshop is planned to be held in Bhutan in 2025. The central theme of the workshop was assessing the services and vulnerability of freshwater ecosystems in the Himalayas. The workshop was organized by Nepal Engineering College (nec) in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT Roorkee). 

Prof. Dr Vishnu Prasad Pandey delivered the keynote presentation focusing on the potential impact of climate change on the increased stress on freshwater resulting from decreased availability, increased uncertainties and their impact on the design flood.

The workshop was held under the project Regional Cooperation for Freshwater Ecosystem Services in the Himalayas (REFRESH): Understanding the Influences of Monsoon Variability and Compound Extremes.

The technical session was chaired by Dr. Vishal Singh Gaur  from the National Institute of Hydrology Roorkee. Dr. Ashutosh Sharma, the Principal Investigator of the project, briefed on the project activities and four doctoral students, two from IIT Roorkee and one each from IIT Mandi and #IITIndore, updated the progress on the research works carried out under this project.

Dr. Santosh Kaini (Joint Secretary, Department of Irrigation and Water Resources, Government of Nepal), Dr. Neera Shrestha Pradhan (Action area Coordinator, Managing Cryosphere and Water Risk, SG1m ICIMOD), and Dr. Narayan Prasad Koju (Ecologist, Assistant Professor, Nepal Engineering College) presented on their areas of expertise in the panel discussion session chaired by Prof. Sumit Sen from IIT Roorkee.

About the workshop

The second workshop in this series is being organized by Nepal Engineering College in collaboration with IIT Roorkee on May 21, 2024 (Tuesday). We have set the following objectives for the workshop: 

The REFRESH project aims to organize a series of workshops to facilitate discussions, disseminate information, and brainstorm ideas about freshwater ecosystems in the Himalayas. The workshops will engage the project team, students, stakeholders, and experts to share their knowledge, insights, and experiences about the services and threats to these vital ecosystems. Through these workshops, participants will have the opportunity to learn from each other, exchange ideas, and explore potential solutions to the challenges facing freshwater ecosystems in the Himalayas. 

The workshops will also provide a platform to foster collaboration and build partnerships between different stakeholders to collectively work toward the conservation and sustainable management of these ecosystems. These workshops will also contribute to capacity building by providing a platform for learning, skill-building, and empowering participants to become agents of change for the conservation and sustainable management of freshwater ecosystems. As such, Himalayan Freshwater Workshop Series-I was successfully organized by IIT, Roorkee on June 6, 2023. Accordingly, the second workshop, Himalayan Freshwater Workshop Series II, would be organized in Kathmandu on May 21, 2024. 

Join us for:

Target Audience:

Convener:


Mr. Pratik Singh Thakuri

Assistant Professor

Nepal Engineering College

Center for Postgraduate Studies (necCPS)

Email: pratikst@nec.edu.np 

For more information, check out the brochure below -

Himalayan_Freshwaters_Workshop_Series_II_Brochure[1].pdf