HUC-HKH

HUC Academy 2018 - Climate Science and Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region: A Transdisciplinary Approach
2018-07-01 - 2018-07-14 | International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) – an Initiative under ICIMOD’s regional programme on Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks (MKAN) – has its mandate in developing an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH, in collaboration with academic, research and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.
Universities and research centres play a key role in generating and sharing knowledge on climate change and providing evidence for effective climate change impact mitigation policies and practices. They fill crucial knowledge gaps and infuse technical content into public discourse that can influence policy makers and public opinion. The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) was founded in 2007 with a mandate to develop an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH that collaborate with academic, research, and knowledge-generating institutions both within and outside the region for sustainable mountain development.
The HUC Academy is a flagship annual intensive programme of the Consortium, providing cross-disciplinary scholarship opportunities to young researchers. It aims to create a new generation of transformational leaders committed to mountain research, who are capable of producing consequential knowledge, innovative policies, and environmentally responsible business practices to address HKH mountain challenges with transboundary solutions. The four signature features of the HUC Academy are mountain focus; interdisciplinarity; field research; and, leadership.
The HUC Academy 2018, titled “Climate Science and Adaptation in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region – a Transdisciplinary Approach,” will take place in Kathmandu from 1 to 14 July 2018, as part of a two-year grant made to the HUC by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). The project aims to advance knowledge of climate science and promote effective and sustainable adaptation measures. It seeks to scale up the impacts of previous and existing Indian Himalayas Climate Adaptation Programme (IHCAP) interventions to the HKH and promote regional collaboration between higher education institutions in India and neighboring countries.
The HUC Academy 2018 aims to:
– Enhance scientific and applied knowledge on issues of climate change and adaptation in the HKH region.
– Improve practical skills needed for competent academics, practitioners, and future leaders.
– Create an interdisciplinary network of teaching faculty and scholars in climate change and adaptation in and for the HKH.

Inception Meeting - SDC HUC Focus Grants 2018–2019
2018-07-01 | Hotel Himalaya, Nepal, Nepal
HUC aims to enhance collaboration among universities in the HKH and to promote centres of excellence on research topics that are relevant to the region. The inception workshop will bring together principal investigators of selected lead institutions and partners to foster regional collaboration in higher education and research for sustainable mountain development.
Objectives

Familiarize participants with the Himalayan University Consortium and the process of HUC Institutional Grants
Create common understanding about the project grant – its vision, goals, objectives, and implementation plans
Present the project to the project team, ICIMOD resource persons, and Swiss experts
Discuss the roles of various partners and stakeholders in project implementation and introduce the partnership approach
Ensure ownership, support, and commitment to project outputs by partners

Expected Outcomes

Partners have a shared understanding of the project and their respective roles
ICIMOD Resource Persons and Swiss experts interact with grantees to enhance project direction and plans

Second Meeting of HUC Thematic Working Group on Water
2018-06-06 - 2018-06-08 | Kunming, China, China
The HUC Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Water (Water Group) was established at the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) Annual Meeting in Chengdu in November 2017. During the first TWG meeting in New Delhi, India, in January 2018, several actionable points were finalized. This meeting will be held to formulate an implementation plan for those points. It aims to:

Develop a strategy paper on actionable points for the Water Group
Generate consensus among partner universities on key details of the operational framework of the WG – for example, governance, policy, roles and responsibilities, and joint action
Gather ideas for financial sustainability of the WG and short-term activities.

The HUC is an initiative under ICIMOD’s regional programme on Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks (MKAN) that has a mandate to develop an effective, sustainable network of universities in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH), in collaboration with academic, research- and knowledge-generating and exchange institutions inside and outside the HKH.

Himalayan University Consortium India Members’ Meeting
2018-02-02 | Teri School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India, India
The Himalayan University Consortium has its mandate in developing an effective, sustainable network of universities in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region. It does so in collaboration with academic, research, and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the region. Over the past three years, there has been a renewed interest among existing members and increased interest among potential members. The total members increased from 33 in the beginning of 2016 to 61 by the end of 2017, among which there are new three members from India.
Of eight countries in the HKH, India contributes the largest number of full members, locating in both the Himalayan states and in New Delhi. Some of the members have taken the lead in a number of Consortium’s activities, such as joining an exposure visit to Bangladesh in May 2017, and joining and offering leading roles in the newly established Thematic Groups. This heightened ownership and leadership indicates a readiness for an India Chapter of HUC to be established, aiming to promote stronger collaboration between HUC full members in India and those of neighboring countries, as well as associate members.
Objectives
Senior representatives of HUC members in India will be discussing:

Objective and procedure to establish the HUC India Chapter and draft its by-laws and plan of action.
Procedure to nominate an HUC Steering Group member representing members in India for 2018.
A draft of the HUC Strategy and Action Plan I (2018–2022).
Potential funding sources for research and training collaboration among HUC members in India and members in the region and beyond.

Participants

Senior representatives of existing HUC members in India, led by the HUC Steering Group member, PP Dhyani, and facilitated by representative of co-organizer, TERI School of Advanced Studies.
Senior representatives of a number of higher education institutions focusing on sustainable mountain development will also be invited to selected sessions.

Expected Outcomes
The one-day meeting is expected to arrive at:

A summary and action points regarding the HUC India Chapter.
A summary and action points of a nomination procedure for the HUC Steering Group member.
A summary of comments and inputs to the HUC Strategy and Action Plan I (2018–2011).
A summary and action points regarding funding resources.

Exposure visit of HUC members to Water studying Institutions in India
2018-01-31 - 2018-02-01 | Teri School of Advanced Studies, New Delhi, India, India
Background
The Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) has its mandate in developing an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH, in collaboration with academic, research and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The HUC has received a grant from The World Bank (WB), under its South Asia Water Initiative Phase II, aiming to strengthen its network and members’ capacity in the field of water studies and management.
One of the key activities of the HUC WB Grant is to promote exchange between members with relatively weaker institutional and research capacity and those with stronger capacity. To this end, an exposure visit for delegations from HUC members in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal is being organized to provide an opportunity for interaction between delegations and water-focused higher education and research institutions in India.
TERI School of Advanced Studies (TSAS) has been a full member of HUC since October 2016. It has been taking the lead in capacity strengthening activities in the field of climate change and environmental science among HUC members. Its Coca-Cola Department of Regional Water Studies plays a key role in various activities of the HUC WB SAWI Grant. At the International Conference and HUC Annual Meeting in Chengdu in November 2017, TSAS representative offered to co-lead and host a Thematic Working Group (TWG) on Water.
TSAS was set up as a Trust by TERI—a not-for-profit, independent research institute recognized globally for its contribution to scientific and policy research in the realms of energy, environment, and sustainable development in 1998. The TSAS was known as TERI University from October 2006 to November 2017. Beyond its academic programmes, TSAS is actively reaching out to mid-career professionals and policy makers to sensitize them towards the environment and sustainable development in a systemic, solutions-oriented manner.
Objectives
A proposed exposure visit of HUC member delegations from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, to be co-organized by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and TSAS, aims to provide an opportunity for mid-/senior- career scholars in under-represented countries to interact with leading higher education and research institutions in India working on issues of water use, management, and policy. It will also be the kick-off meeting of the HUC TWG on Water.
In conjunction to this event, there will be a one-day meeting of senior representatives of existing and prospective HUC members in India, who will discuss the draft of the HUC Strategy and Plan of Action, the process to establish HUC India Chapter, and potential for collaboration and resource sharing across the Consortium.
Participants

Mid-/senior- environmental and social scientists in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal who have been conducting research on water related issues.
University administrators or research institute heads who make critical decisions on research and training directions on the issues.
Approximately 10–12 senior representatives of existing and prospective HUC members are expected to attend the first day of the HUC India Meet 2018.

Expected Outcomes

Delegates are expected to obtain updated knowledge on state-of-the-art water studies and training in higher education and research institutions in India and take active part in networking across the region.
A detailed consultation of a draft of the HUC Strategy and Plan of Action, a draft road map to establish the HUC India Chapter, and a specific plan for resource sharing and mobilization are expected to be achieved at the end of the first day of the HUC India Meet 2018.

International Conference on Mountain Waters and Livelihood, in conjunction with the Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) Annual Meeting
2017-10-30 - 2017-11-01 | Sichuan University, Chengdu, China, China
The international conference brings together scholars from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and beyond to present state-of-the-art research on the theme of water and livelihood from mountain perspectives.
The Annual Meeting, on the other hand, gathers senior representatives from existing and potential Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) members to discuss ways to strengthen the network and foster regional collaboration in higher education, research, and training in and for the HKH.
These two back-to-back events, co-hosted by Sichuan University , are parts of the network strengthening and capacity building activities supported by the HUC grant from The World Bank under its South Asia Water Initiative (2017-2018).

HUC Academy 2017 - Disaster Risk and Water Management
2017-07-02 - 2017-07-12 | ICIMOD Headquarters, Kathmandu, Nepal
Introduction
South Asia is home to about 21 percent of the global population, but has only about eight percent of the world’s annual renewable water resources. Population growth and urbanization are major drivers of change and increasing water stress in the region. About one billion people live in the three large transboundary basins in the region, the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra. These rivers that emanate from the Greater Himalaya are shared across borders between Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. Climate change studies increasingly suggest that the effects of glacial melt, temperature variations, and erratic monsoon patterns will reduce the availability of water in the region and lead to a greater frequency of floods and droughts. Despite the frequency and transboundary impacts of these extreme events, cooperation between countries remains limited. Low per capita water availability, coupled with a very high relative level of water use, makes South Asia one of the most hydrologically vulnerable regions of the world. Conflicting demands on these international waters, increasing water demand, significant inter- and intra-annual hydrologic variability, weak water institutions, and a low level of transboundary cooperation, are the key water resources management challenges of the region. The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) has one of the largest bodies of ice outside the polar ice caps, covering an area of more than 60,000 square kilometres. The glaciers, ice fields, and snow packs provide important intra- and inter-annual water storage facilities, and the mountains are often referred to as the “water towers” of Asia. They are the major source of surface water and groundwater during the dry season. They play a significant role in agriculture and food security, and also have the potential to play a vital role in energy security.

The HUC Academy
The HUC Academy is an annual intensive programme organized at ICIMOD or a member of the Consortium, providing opportunities for young researchers to engage in cross-disciplinary scholarship. It aims for a new generation of transformational leaders committed to mountain research, capable of producing consequential knowledge, innovate policies and environmentally responsible business practices to address HKH mountain challenges from transboundary perspectives. Its four highlighted features are:

mountain focus;
interdisciplinarity;
field-based research; and
leadership building

Objective
The first HUC Academy launched in July 2017 and focusing on Disaster Risk and Water Management aims to enhance scientific and applied knowledge on selected issues of water resource and water-related disaster management of the HKH.
Expected outcomes of the training are:

Improved knowledge of participants on the subject matters for research and training;
Course materials accessible online.

Mobilizing University Research for Tackling Water, Climate Change and Adaptation Challenges in Hindu Kush Himalayan Region
2016-10-24 - 2016-10-26 | Indian National Science Academy (INSA), New Delhi, India, India
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is the source of ten large Asian river systems and provides water, ecosystem services, and the basis for the livelihoods of more than 210 million people in the South Asia region. Five of the eight HKH countries — Bangladesh, Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bhutan — share twenty major rivers emanating from the Greater Himalayas. The basins of these rivers provide water to 1.3 billion people. The river flow regimes, the supply of water and food and energy security in the region are under direct impact from changes in temperature, precipitation and glacier dynamics. Due to the transboundary interconnectedness in water resources and its high relevance in regional stability and sustainable and inclusive growth, regional cooperation is imperative in the management and development of water resources. Regional integration and cooperative transboundary water resource management requires increased accountability and transparency of governments, improved technology, infrastructure, market access, delivery of services, and enhanced social institutions. Among the latter, universities and research centres play a key role in generating, sharing and disseminating knowledge on water resources and provide evidence for effective intergovernmental integrated water resources management policies and practice. Universities and research centres in the region, however, have largely not been able to fulfil their important tasks. This is mostly due to the lack of resources and inadequate institutional and research capacity. Moreover, an information sharing mechanism and platform as well as substantive coordinated efforts in creating and conducting collaborative research and training between institutions are seriously lacking. Himalayan University Consortium (HUC, est. 2007) has its mandate in developing an effective, sustainable network of universities in the HKH, in collaboration with academic, research and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the region. This network engages top-notch professional women and men capable of undertaking high-quality research, education, teaching, and knowledge dissemination in service of a mountain-specific, sustainable, fair, and inclusive development for HKH communities and adjoining mountainous areas. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), one of HUC’s founding members and the current host of its secretariat, has recently made HUC its sixth regional programme, indicating a strong commitment to foster regional cooperation among research institutions. GBPNIHESD has been among the most active members of the consortium and a strategic implementing partner of ICIMOD.
The Purpose
The proposed International Conference titled “Mobilizing University Research for Tacking Water, Climate Change, and Adaptation Challenges in Hindu Kush Himalayan Region” aims to:

provide a forum for leading scholars in the HKH and beyond to present latest findings and discuss the current issues of the conference theme;
serve as a platform for HUC member university leaders to discuss potential collaborations in research, training, and policy interventions;
provide a venue for university leaders to meet with representatives from policy-making bodies and grant-making agencies for potential synergies in addressing the concerned issues.

Target Groups

leading environmental and social scientists in the HKH region and beyond who have been conducting research on the issues
high-level policy makers and senior practitioners working on water-related issues, policies and interventions
university leaders and research institute heads who make critical decisions on research and training directions on the issues
grant-makers, both government/public and international/inter- and on-governmental, whose work and decisions are relevant to the theme of the conference

Expected Outcomes

an upgrade of state-of-the-art scientific, inter- and multi-disciplinary knowledge on the concerned issues
lessons learned on what works in linking knowledge with policy and practice
discussions on the way forward in partnership building among HUC members for better collaboration in policy-oriented research and training
one or two pairs or groups of HUC members who are interested in proposal writing of the concerned topics are identified and formulated

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