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Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

Asia-Pacific Network for Global Change Research

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Project • ARCP2015-09CMY-Heath, ARCP2014-18NMY-Heath

Development of an evidence-based climate change adaptation toolkit to help improve community resilience to climate change impacts in Uttarakhand, India

The Himalaya-Tibetan Plateau, also known as the Water Tower of Asia or the Third Pole, is home to the highest mountains and glaciers in the world. Meltwater from this huge reserve feeds major Asian river basins, such as the Indus, Ganges, Brahmaputra, Yangtze and Mekong. Changing monsoon patterns, more extreme weather events and continued glacial melting have long-term implications for the region’s water, energy and food security. This project utilised the ICLEI/Asian Cities Climate Change Resilience Network (ACCCRN) toolkit, referred to as IAP Toolkit, to assist local governments to assess their climate risks and vulnerabilities, and to make adaptive response plans accordingly. The IAP Toolkit was applied to the rural watershed of Ramgad in Uttarakhand, India and is the first rural jurisdiction in India to use the IAP. The IAP produced over 40 resilience interventions for vulnerable communities. The results of this work also revealed that adaptive capacity and resilience in this rural jurisdiction were much lower compared to those of urban settings. Perhaps, rural regions typically have fewer resources available to measure threats, disruptions and impacts compared to their city counterparts. There is also a lack of information to help communities to respond to climate-induced threats and disruptions.