The Arctic and Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), separated by thousands of miles, share many of the same wonders and challenges, and yet they hardly work together in overcoming them. In a globalized world, there is no reason for any country, society or individual to face common challenges alone. Creative solutions to complex problems can be generated through unusual collaborations. Today, there is no greater challenge than the complex issue of climate change, and it requires collaboration across borders and continents.
Known as the “third pole”, the HKH spans over 4.3 million square kilometers in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. It has earned this moniker because it has more snow and ice than anywhere else in the world outside of the two polar regions. Yet, like the Arctic, the HKH is more than just an icy world. It is home to over 240 million people and over a 1000 living languages. Rich in natural resources, its various ecosystems support more than just the local populations.
Living downstream from its 10 major rivers more than 1.9 billion people directly rely on the mountains, the glaciers, and the snow for food, water, and energy. If we factor in trade and the global economy, the number who depend on this region indirectly would be closer to 3 billion.
The Arctic region in comparison extends more than 20 million square kilometers and encompasses parts of Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia, the United States (Alaska), Canada (Yukon, Northwest Territories, and Nunavut), Denmark (Greenland), and Iceland. As a result of its vastness, the Arctic is as equally diverse as the HKH. The resources that the Arctic contains are much sought after and are vital to the economies of many countries within and outside the region.
Common challenges
Both the Arctic and the HKH regions, which are shared by eight countries respectively, are facing problems associated with climate change and a rapidly warming world. Temperatures are increasing at rates greater than the global average, leading to the release of carbon that has been stored in permafrost and the Arctic Ocean. Warming temperatures are also reducing glaciers in the HKH and leading to potential ice-free summers in the Arctic.At current emissions trends, two-thirds of the HKH glaciers will be gone and ice-free Arctic summers will occur once every three years by 2100. So far 15% of the ice in the HKH region has disappeared since the 1970s, and the September minimum ice extent in the Arctic is 36.5% less than it was in the 1980s. The changes in both regions are dramatic.
The loss of glaciers and Arctic sea ice is worrying as the massive stores of snow and ice in the regions play a major role in regulating the Earth’s climate. With less snow and ice in the regions, less solar radiation is reflected back into the atmosphere. Instead solar radiation is absorbed at the surface, leading to more warming. The impact on the world cannot be overstated.
Farmers, fishers, hunters, herders, and indigenous communities depend intimately on the glaciers for their economic, social, and cultural wellbeing. The loss of glacial ice at faster than normal rates has a direct impact on livelihoods. As river flows are predicted to increase by 2050–2060 due to melting, it is estimated that people will see more flooding, landslides, crop failure, and soil erosion. Later, as water flows decline, the risks of drought will increase. Reduced inflows will also result in increased water stress and reduced energy output from hydropower dams. This will have serious consequences for overall food and energy production in the region. In the Arctic, the melting of sea ice will continue to lead to sea level rise, increasing the chances of flooding, erosion and habitat destruction.
The changes brought about by increasing temperatures will likely become the single biggest driver of migration and displacement on an unprecedented scale across the Indian subcontinent, potentially destabilizing regional and global effects. This is no different in the Arctic region, where the scale of forced migration might be less, but risk still exists for indigenous peoples who are more dependent on the land than other groups. At the same time that Arctic indigenous groups continue to migrate out of traditional areas, there is an increased inflow of people traveling and working in the region. While there might be short-term economic gains from this demographic change and inflow of people to the north, growing populations place additional pressure on delicate ecosystems. Both regions can learn from one another about the positive and negative effects of climate change and migration and perhaps share best practices.
Collaboration across regions
The challenges presented by an increasing warming climate don’t have to be fought alone. Both the Arctic and the HKH regions can collaborate to learn from each other. It all begins with increased communication. By starting to directly engage with each other, the HKH and the Arctic regions can better develop the spaces and tools necessary for collaboration, and regional dialogues and conferences can be a starting point for building these relationships.
Events like Arctic Frontiers 2020 that provide a forum for dialogue and communication between scientists, government, civil society and industry in the Arctic can be a good opportunity for such engagement. Cross-regional dialogue between the two regions is not a far-fetched idea given the common challenges that these unique but vitally important regions both face: increasing tourism and its effects, degradation of natural habitats, and the effects of a warming climate on the livelihoods of native peoples. Outside of just reacting to a changing climate and learning to adapt, the HKH and the Arctic region can truly come together and be proactive in helping to reduce the causes of climate change by sharing knowledge and expertise.
While the Arctic and Himalaya cooperation is still in its early stages, the hope is that the “Arctic-Himalaya Futures” side event, organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), UiT – The Arctic University of Norway, the Norwegian Scientific Academy for Polar Research, and GRID-Arendal, will start the process of creating the much-needed long-term cooperation mechanisms between the regions.
