1. Linking Climate Risks to Policy and Practice
Sharing Experiences and Approaches from
Himalayan Adaptation, Water an Resilience Research (HI AWARE)
17th November 2016
India Lead and Partners:
Supported by

2. India: Existing Vulnerabilities to Climate Change
Large with complex multi-hazard environments and numerous climate change hotspots
Diverse set of ecosystems
Range of risks, climatic and non-climatic exposures
Differential vulnerability profiles and
Differential capacities and institutional regimes
Impacts on key systems: like agriculture, forestry, water and glaciers
Range of projected future losses & impacts across agricultural, water and forest-based systems
For more information:

3. Himalayan Adaptation, Water and Resilience Research (HI-AWARE)
Focusing on Glacier-fed River Basins
Partners
Lead Institution: ICIMOD (Nepal),
Partner Institutions: Wageningen University (Netherlands) TERI (India), PARC (Pakistan), BCAS (Bangladesh)
Partner Institutions in India: CEDAR, TMI, SHARD, MPA
Geographic sites in India: Upper Ganga, Gandaki, &Teesta Basins
Study Sites in India: Uttarakhand, Sikkim, Bihar, West Bengal
For more information:

4. Objectives
To enhance the adaptive capacities and climate resilience of the poor and vulnerable women, men, and children living in the mountains and flood plains of the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins.
It seeks to do this through the development of robust evidence to inform people-centred and gender-inclusive climate change adaptation policies and practices for improving livelihoods.
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5. How
Generate scientific knowledge on the biophysical, socio-economic, gender, and governance conditions and drivers that lead to people’s and region’s being vulnerable to the effects of climate change
Develop robust evidence to improve understanding of the potential of adaptation approaches and practices, with an explicit focus on gender and livelihoods 
Develop stakeholder-driven adaptation pathways based on the up- and out- scaling of institutional and on-the-ground adaptation innovations
Promote the uptake of knowledge and adaptation practices at various scales by decision-makers and citizens; and 
Strengthen the interdisciplinary expertise of researchers, students and related science and policy stakeholder networks.
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6. Where ?
The Hindukush Himalayan region comprises regions with varying topographies and climatic conditions.
HI-AWARE focuses its activities in 12 sites that represent a range of climates, altitudes, hydro-meteorological conditions, rural-urban continuums, and socio-economic contexts in four study basins: the Indus, Upper Ganga, Gandaki and Teesta.
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7. The 12 study sites of HI-AWARE corresponding to four river basins
Where?
The 12 study sites of HI-AWARE corresponding to four river basins
Map prepared by ICIMOD
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8. What?
Conduct research in these sites, including modeling, scoping studies, action research, and pilots.
Pilot test promising adaptation measures in observatory labs at the sites for out-scaling and up-scaling.
Conduct participatory monitoring and assessments of climate change impacts and adaptation practices.
These activities will seek to identify:
Critical moments: times of the year when specific climate risks are highest and when specific adaptation interventions are most effective;
Adaptation turning points: those points in time when current policies and management practices are no longer effective and alternative strategies have to be considered; and
 Adaptation pathways: sequences of policy actions that respond to adaptation turning points, by addressing both short-term responses to climate change and longer-term planning.
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9. Approach
Generating Knowledge: consisting of five interlinked Research Components, is focused on knowledge generation on climate change impacts, the causes that lead to vulnerability, and adaptation practices and policies
Research into Use: will systematically promote the uptake of knowledge and adaptation practices at various scales by practitioners and policymakers, to reduce vulnerabilities of communities and build livelihood resilience 
Strengthening Expertise: will build the capacity of researchers, students, and science and policy stakeholder networks to do interdisciplinary research on climate change vulnerability, resilience, and adaptation
For more information:

10. For more information: www.hi-aware.org

11. Current Research and Outputs
Basin level climate data available for key parameters for both past and future time periods, custom-tailored to study areas at subnational and local scales
Glacial monitoring for discharge measurements
Understanding the socioeconomic and governance context affecting vulnerabilities across regions
Issues vary from changing rainfall patterns causing floods, landslides to erratic weather, high summer/ winter temperatures affecting crops
Identification of policies and practices with potential for adaptation, their barriers and bridges, few pilots to demonstrate suited techniques for adapting
Recommendations to strengthen adaptation in policy and practice
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12. Basin level climate data available for key parameters for both past and future time periods, custom-tailored to study areas at subnational and local scales
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
For more information:

13. Glacial monitoring for discharge measurements
Glaciers are shrinking
Shrinking of glaciers leads to increased streamflow(peak melt (2050 –2070) + GLOFs
A shift in timing of high precipitation events, falling as rain rather than snow, can lead to floods as well
Changes in the mountains impact people living downstream
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
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14. Weather Data: AWS
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
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15. Mapping of Socio-economic drivers and Vulnerabilities
Changes in the mountains impact people living downstream
Mapping socio-economic drivers in villages
Identifying climate risks and key vulnerabilities
Participatory decision making
Demand driven and need based adaptation options
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
For more information:

16. Heat Stress in Downstream Urban Areas
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
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17. HI-AWARE Research in India
An amalgamation of cutting edge technology and on-ground techniques
leading to co-production of information
For more information:

18. Research into Use What is Research into Use?
To help research generate evidence base to shape policies or practices that help vulnerable populations or sectors adapt to climate change from evidence generated at various scales.
How to facilitate research into use ?
Generating Scientific Knowledge or Evidence-base
Outputs from Research components
Facilitate Research Uptake
Stakeholder engagement
Communication
Collaboration
Strengthening Local Capacities
Enhancing capacities
Enhancing scientific capacities
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19. Communicating for research uptake:
Who do we communicate with?
Policy-makers
Practitioners
Communities and other beneficiaries
Other Researchers and Academicians
What do we communicate?
Outputs from Research
How do we communicate Policy and Practice Uptake
Identifying Entry Points (to facilitate intervention)
Identify Enablers
Acting on ‘Window of Opportunity’
Continuously Evolving Process
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20. Thanks For more information: www.hi-aware.org
Contact: Neha Pahuja, TERI