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International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Kathmandu, Nepal
Understanding Water- Energy-Food Nexus from Mountain
Perspective
David Molden, Aditi Mukherji, Golam Rasul, Arun Shrestha,
Ramesh Vaidya, Shahriar M. Wahid and Philippus Wester
Presented by Golam Rasul and Aditi Mukherji
Outline
1. Background & objective
2. Nexus challenges in South Asia
3. Role of Himalayas in Nexus security in South
Asia
4. Challenge in sustaining mountain ecosystems
5. Conclusions & Recommendations
Water, Energy & Food Security: A common challenge
• Over 40% of the world's poor live in South Asia
• Growing water stress- 20% lack access to safe
drinking water
• Food-energy deficiency- 51%
• 63% population no access to modern energy
• Water, Energy & Food security is a common
challenge for SA
Objective
• Mountains provide numerous goods & services – fresh water,
biodiversity, food, forest, medicinal products & energy.
• However, the role of mountains in nexus security is not fully
understood & recognized.
• Poor understanding may lead to inadequate action & further
degradation of critical resources including mountain
ecosystems
• With an example of the Himalayan ecosystem services &
their role in ensuring water, energy & food security in SA, we
argue that mountains deserve special attention in the
water-energy-food-nexus discourse.
• 2. Nexus Challenges in South
Asia
Nexus Challenges: Food Security
• With 3% of land, SA has to feed 20% population
• Per capita agricultural land declining
• Food production needs to be doubled in next 25
years
• Water demand for irrigation will increase about 70%
• Fertilizer demand will increase over 100%
• Rice & wheat- high water & energy demanding
• Intensification of agriculture has led to a great dependence on water & energy
• Competition for land for food & bio-energy crops & ecosystem services
Nexus Challenges: Water Security
• Growing water demand for agriculture, energy, industry,
human & livestock
• Uneven endowment of water resources
• Almost 90% water is consumed by the agriculture sector
• About 20% of the population lack access to safe drinking
water
• Groundwater: 70-80% of the agricultural production depends
on groundwater irrigation
• Water pollution – arsenic, water borne diseases, high child
mortality, poor human health, salinization
• Growing water stress- Pakistan, India
501
1841
4509
0
500
1000
1500
2000
2500
3000
3500
4000
4500
5000
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated area in Bangladesh ‘000 ha
5.8
20.8
56
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated land as % of arable land,
Bangladesh
25,523
40,637
57,178
0
10,000
20,000
30,000
40,000
50,000
60,000
70,000
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated area in India ‘000 ha
16
25
35
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated land as % of arable land, India
Challenges: Irrigation Trend, Water Stress
77
673
1,135
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1965 1985 2002
4
29
36
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
40
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated land as % of arable land, Nepal Irrigated land in Nepal, ‘000 ha
11,139
15,548
17,810
0
2,000
4,000
6,000
8,000
10,000
12,000
14,000
16,000
18,000
20,000
1965 1985 2002
62.9
77.6 83
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
1965 1985 2002
Irrigated land in Pakistan, ‘000 ha Irrigated land as % of arable land, Pakistan
Challenges: Irrigation Trend, Water Stress
Nexus Challenges: Energy Security
• Widening demand - supply gap
• 63% no electricity -65% use biomass for
cooking
• Shortage of energy impedes economic growth
• Meeting growing energy demand for agriculture,
water, industry & other economic activities
• High dependence on traditional sources, fossil
fuels, imported energy
• Reducing reliance upon fossil fuels & carbon
intensity
Nexus Challenge: Climate change
• Climate change is a major
concern - alterations in
temperature & precipitation,
melting Himalayan glaciers,
degradation of natural
resources & environment
• Fresh water availability –
increased uncertainty
• Increased frequency of extreme
events, drought, floods,
variability in climate, affecting
monsoon patterns
1990-2080 (% change)
World
-0.6 to -0.9
Developed Countries
2.7 to 9.0
Developing Countries
-3.3 to -7.2
Southeast Asia
-2.5 to -7.8
South Asia
-18.2 to -22.1
Sub-Saharan Africa
-3.9 to -7.5
Latin America
5.2 to 12.5
3. Role of Himalayas in Water,
Energy, and Food Security in
South Asia
Himalayas – the water tower of Asia
•Himalayan freshwater
54,000 glaciers , covering 60,000 Km2
•Largest body of ice outside the Polar caps
• Store about 12,000 km3 of freshwater
Indo-Gangetic Plain- bread basket of SA
• World’s largest irrigated agriculture in
IGBP
• Rice-wheat system
produces the bulk of the food-grains of SA
Ground water recharge
•Himalayan watersheds are
natural storage of water
•Himalayas influences the
ground water condition of IGBP
- Recharge deep aquifers
•IGBP is rich in ground water –
replenish by rainfall, snow &
ice melting & seepage from
Himalayan watershed
Monsoon Regulation
• Himalayas
regulates
micro-
climates, wind
& monsoon
circulation,
Energy Security
• Himalayas have vital role in
energy security in SA
• Hydropower potential 500 GW
• Himalayas can provide access to
green energy
• Of the total hydropower potential in
India, 79% is in the Himalayan region
• Micro-hydropower
Challenges of sustaining mountain Ecosystems
• No incentives to mountain communities to conserve mountain natural resources.
• Degradation of natural resources- forest, rangeland, soil, watershed, headwaters of Himalayan rivers
• Environmental degradation- biodiversity loss, ecosystem degradation, siltation, silting river beds, declining ground water recharge, drying up streams,
• Socio-economic impacts- topsoil loss, declining productivity, water shortages, livelihoods insecurity, food insecurity, energy insecurity
Conclusions
• Need urgent action to sustainably manage
mountain ecosystems to ensure food, water &
energy security.
• Inter-country coordination & collaboration is critical
for long-term solutions for food, water & energy
security.
• A basin-level approach is required to manage
synergies & trade-offs in food, water, & energy
nexus.
• Mountain is global natural capital, it is common
interest & shared responsibility to protect the
mountain ecosystems
Recommendations
• Recognize the role of mountain ecosystems, upstream-
downstream interdependencies
• Optimum development & sustainable use of water & energy-
micro & macro hydropower - demarcate fragile zones.
• Framework for regional cooperation for multiple uses of water
& benefit-sharing.
• Manage headwaters of the rivers & their watersheds.
• Provide incentives to mountain communities for sustainable
management of the headwaters.
• Promote nexus knowledge base to support decision-making
in managing trade-offs & promoting synergies
Thank you Thank you
Recommendations
• Provide alternative energy sources - to reduce black carbon emissions
• Develop micro & macro hydropower optimally- identify potential hydropower areas, demarcate fragile zones .
• Framework for regional cooperation for multiple uses of water for irrigation, energy, navigation, fisheries, domestic uses & for benefit-sharing.
• Promote interdisciplinary research & a nexus knowledge base to support decision-making in managing trade-offs & promoting synergies