Coronavirus pandemic is wreaking havoc globally including other countries of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region, and South Asia. All the countries are facing long time worst crisis of the present century. Authorities counting in vain inestimable loss that affected health, lives and livelihoods, economy, employment/ job market, environment, food security, nutrition and other life-saving sectors. Evidence shows that it is very hard to cover those unpredictable losses.
Meanwhile, food and nutritional insecurity remains a serious challenge in the HKH region. More than 30 per cent of the population suffers from food insecurity and around 50 per cent face some form of malnutrition, with women and children particularly vulnerable.
There are eight developing countries in HKH region, all those affected by pandemic: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Bangladesh is one of them that faced immeasurable problems in different sectors due to pandemic. Until or unless the Covid-19 vaccine becomes available, all the citizens are at risk to be infected and suffer from deadly coronavirus. Millions of people of HKH region are affected by the pandemic and in the meantime thousands of people died! So for saving lives, and to reduce the heavy loss of HKH region--regional cooperation is a must to work together. No country or no one should be left behind. Even if we follow the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), we realize that cooperation of all the countries is the precondition to survive, because fighting pandemic is the most crucial agenda for all.
Considering the magnitude of the problems and other relevant issues, Nepal-based regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) hosted recently a landmark meeting of Ministers from all of the eight Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) countries.
They signed a historically significant declaration agreeing to strengthen regional cooperation in the HKH. It aims for cooperation on climate action, climate and disaster resilient communities in the mountains, downstream and beyond. And to work towards a prosperous, peaceful and poverty-free region that is food, energy and water secure. To promoting a united voice for the HKH at regional, global and United Nations platforms. Those are for enhancing the uptake of scientific evidence to improve policies in the region through focusing on environments and livelihoods of the mountains. That would be helpful to assess the feasibility of establishing a regional institutional mechanism; those were the main issues of the common goals.
The ministerial declaration was signed by the concerned Ministers of the eight regional countries. Accordingly, Mr Bir Bahadur Ushwe Sing, Minister, Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA) of Bangladesh signed the Declaration from Bangladesh.
The ICIMOD mentioned in its document that the Declaration is the culmination of a process begun as part of the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment. It styled after the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reports. The HKH Assessment underscores the significance of the HKH as a vital regional lifeline and global asset. It provides the scientific evidence that human drivers and climate change pose immediate threats to the region's livelihoods, biodiversity, and ultimately, sustainability. Among the most significant of these drivers are climate change, demographic changes, growing demand for natural resources, rapid economic growth, unregulated urbanization, and widespread poverty in the mountainous regions.
There are 240 million people living in mountains and hills, and around two billion people living at the mountains and river basins downstream. Country-specific actions and solutions were identified during the consultations and six urgent actions were tailored at the local, national, and regional levels. That would help generating a roadmap for collective ownership by the eight countries and actions at multiple scales.
The discussants of the event pointed out that the global significance of the Hindu Kush Himalaya region is indisputable and it is clear that disruptions such as the COVID-19 pandemic lay bare the vulnerabilities of mountain communities. The Hindu Kush Himalaya is the pulse of the planet. When the pulse is strong, we know humanity is healthy, but when the pulse is weak, we know we have problems in the world. And while today we feel a weak pulse in the HKH, we also feel today is a turning point in history to strengthen cooperation and prosperity in the region.
This HKH Call to Action provides a roadmap for the region and the six urgent actions are essential to point us along the pathway to more prosperity.
The six urgent actions are: 1) promote and strengthen regional cooperation at all levels to sustain mountain environment and livelihoods; 2) recognize and prioritize the uniqueness of the HKH mountain people; 3) take concerted climate actions to keep global warming below 1.5 degrees; 4) take accelerated actions to achieve the SDGs in the mountains; 5) take decisive actions to enhance ecosystem resilience; and 6) promote regional data and information sharing.
Mr Pema Gyamtsho, incoming ICIMOD Director General said. "I am deeply committed and eager to take forward this process, to expand our cooperation across the region and to activate our collective courage in facing these very complex issues. We are stronger when we work together."
The Summit was hosted virtually, with the Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Nepal, Mr Pradeep Gyawali expressing his governments' ongoing commitment to promoting a unified voice for the HKH mountains as host country for ICIMOD.
Regarding the role of media in HKH region, it is praiseworthy that media continue to play a critical role in giving voice to the unheard voices in the mountain communities of the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Media people are bringing needed attention to mountain issues in local and global forums. Therefore, journalists should not only report, but also provide innovative solutions through their work. Ideas on networking platforms for cross-country sharing of knowledge and time for sharing experiences related to science communication, pandemic, resilience, and environmental reporting are also important.
The writer is a journalist and poet
