XIEG will lead research on climate change in Gilgit region of Pakistan

Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography (XIEG) of the Chinese Academy of Sciences will start a project on climate change-related researches in the Gilgit region of Pakistan, jointly with two Pakistani research institutions.

The project was initiated in Kathmandu, Nepal, on July 1.

As the member of Himalayan University Consortium (HUC) and initiating unit, XIEG will collaborate with Karakoram International University and Forman Christian College of Pakistan on a series of researches, including mitigating the social and economic impact of climate change, and enhancing climate change adaptation.

The HUC was founded in 2007 with a mandate to develop an effective, sustainable network of universities in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH), for collaboration with academic, research, and knowledge generating and exchange institutions both within and outside the HKH region for sustainable mountain development.

Climate change has an increasing influence on the stability of fragile mountain ecosystems and the livelihoods of mountain people. Mountain and downstream communities are increasingly vulnerable to climate change impacts and are in pressing need of effective adaptation and mitigation measures.

The resilience and adaption capacities of communities and ecosystems need to be strengthened through adaptation mechanisms that are built on both indigenous knowledge of autonomous adaptation and strong scientific evidence.

The project was supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).