Need for proactive disaster preparedness, community-centered resilience, and evidence-based strategies stressed-10243-News

ISLAMABAD (07 November 2025): Discussing anticipatory climate action in the Hindu Kush–Himalaya (KKH) region, experts at a session stressed the need for proactive disaster preparedness, community-centered resilience, and evidence-based strategies, integrated indigenous knowledge, gender-responsive planning, early warning systems, and institutional strengthening to transform reactive approaches into sustainable, adaptive, and inclusive climate solutions. The session, titled: “Fostering anticipatory action to climate and socio-economic risks at sub-national scales in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region” was organized on the 4th day of 28th Sustainable Development Conference by Sustainable Development Policy Institute here on Friday.  Idrees Butt, Member DRR at National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), emphasized the importance of collaborative efforts among policy makers, experts, and activists for effective climate adaptation and disaster risk reduction. Highlighting Pakistan’s high vulnerability to climate-induced hydrometeorological hazards, he outlined NDMA’s comprehensive approach spanning mitigation, preparedness, response, recovery, and rehabilitation. He noted that while strong institutional frameworks exist at national and provincial levels, local and district capacities require further strengthening. Ms Aisha Khan, CEO of Mountain and Glacier Protection Organization, said the HKH region’s complex topography, steep gradients, and microclimates make local climate prediction extremely challenging, often leading to false alarms or missed triggers. She said hazards rarely occur in isolation, with events like glacial lake outburst floods, heatwaves, landslides, droughts, and flash floods being interconnected. Dr Babar Shahbaz, University of Agriculture Faisalabad, said this project aims to shift from reactive to proactive adaptation to climate change by emphasizing foresight analysis—exploring multiple possible futures through scenario building and systematic planning, rather than relying solely on prediction based on past data. Initiated with the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in 2023, the project focuses on Pakistan’s Hindu Kush–Karakoram–Himalaya (HKKH) region, highly vulnerable to climate disasters. He said despite several national and provincial climate acts and policies, Pakistan still faces challenges in stakeholder engagement and effective policy enforcement. MS Sabreen Tuladhar, ICIMOD, who appeared online, said her presentation explores how anticipatory action can foster resilience amid socio-economic and climate challenges, focusing on the Lower Mustang region of Nepal. Here, the century-old practice of transhumant yak herding—a key livelihood and cultural tradition—is under threat from climate change, water scarcity, and migration. Using a participatory foresight approach, we engaged local stakeholders through workshops, interviews, and system mapping to identify critical drivers of change such as labor availability, climate impacts, and economic potential. By developing future scenarios and desired outcomes, this study seeks pathways to sustain traditional herding while strengthening community resilience and adaptive capacity. Owais Ahmed, Project Manager, Secours Isla Mique France, said the Hindu Kush is warming faster than other areas, increasing the frequency and intensity of disasters. Our responses are mostly reactive, which provides relief but does not build resilience. Anticipatory action is critical, with clear triggers for early warnings and fund releases, as hazards can reach communities within minutes. Mian Mohammad Junaid, Country Director, WaterAid, said the Hindu Kush–Himalaya region faces increasing climate impacts, including floods, water scarcity, and ecosystem stress, which heighten community vulnerability. He said anticipatory action is crucial, emphasizing gender-inclusive, climate-resilient WASH systems that protect lives, livelihoods, and ecosystems. Resilient water supply and sanitation infrastructure strengthened watershed management, and trained women-led community WASH committees reduce disruptions and accelerate recovery after climate shocks. Kanchan Mani Das Dixit, Executive Director, ISET-International Nepal, said since 2001, we have worked at the intersection of climate science, social systems, and local governance, emphasizing community empowerment and resilience. In the eastern Kathmandu Valley, our Urban Resilience Project integrates disaster preparedness and climate adaptation into municipal systems. Dr Shafqat Munir, Research Fellow at SDPI, said the panel would be discussing integrating Indigenous knowledge into anticipatory action, advancing gender-responsive climate adaptation, customizing climate models for HKH, and embedding anticipatory strategies into policy for resilient ecosystems and livelihoods.