SMDS III
Water
The discussions of 26 September
Topics for discussion
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Ecosystems
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Water supply and infrastructure
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Hydropower
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Climate change
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Disasters
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Policy, governance
Ecosystems
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Inadequate knowledge about dying springs
Loss of forests and grasslands affects water
availability and storage
Water conservation,including rainwater
harvesting necessary
Environmental flows in Himalayan rivers not
taken into account
Water supply
and infrastructure
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Inadequate water availability : quality and
quantity
Ensuring sustainable access to water for urban
areas
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Ensuring sustainable supply for agriculture
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Degradation of source
Hydropower
Decision making processes :
non-transparent and non-inclusive
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Focus on demand management
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What interests push hydropower
despite risks?
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Cumulative impact assessment a
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Climate change
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Receding glaciers
Erratic rainfall leading to changes in
agricultural patterns
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Mountain population more vulnerable
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Increasing water disputes
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Increasing hydro-meteorological disasters
Disasters
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Disasters are increasingly anthropogenic
Lack of compensation of land lost to disasters
Lack of early warning systems, including
community owned ones
Vulnerable and risk prone areas are not
identified
Policy and governance
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State experiences with policy
Policy process : not based on science and
peoples' feedback
Governance: Water ownership, institutions
Policies need to take advantage of staterelevant acts and suggest reforms where
necessary
Lack of capacity development for policy