CoP 22

At CoP 22, India will highlight climate impact on Himalayas
India will host a special side event during the UN Climate Change Conference opening on Monday at Marrakech, Morocco, on the 12 Himalayan States that face the impact of a changing climate.

The Himalayas provide water to 1.3 billion people in Asia, but have been inadequately represented over the past three decades in climate change discussions, an expert said. “Currently, the Himalayas are not spoken about even at discussions in international forums on mountain countries,” P.P Dhyani, Director of the Almora-based G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment and Sustainable Development, said.

Dr. Dhyani said the Centre has asked the G.B. Pant Institute to represent the 12 Himalayan States at the Conference of the Parties (CoP 22) of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change being held between November 7 and 18. The Hindu Kush region was represented at UNFCCC by the Nepal-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development. At the CoP on November 17, the impact of climate change on disasters, biodiversity, livelihood, and agriculture will be highlighted. “Though the Himalayas are warming faster than the global average, they are not yet in focus,” he said. Plans to mitigate climate impact will be drawn up.

.........................................................

Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has constituted a four-member team for conservation and management of Loktak Lake in Manipur. The team will visit Loktak Lake and hold discussions with the State government, its concerned agencies and other stakeholders including people living in the vicinity of the lake.

. About Loktak Lake

Loktak Lake is the largest freshwater lake in Northeast India and is famous for the phumdis floating over it. Phumdis are the heterogeneous mass of vegetation, soil and organic matter at various stages of decomposition. Keibul Lamjao National Park is also one of Phumdis in the lake. It is only floating national park in world and is last natural refuge of endangered Sangai deer. This ancient lake plays an important role in the economy of Manipur. It serves as a source of water for irrigation, drinking water supply and hydropower generation. Considering the ecological status and its biodiversity values, Loktak lake was initially designated as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention in 1990. Later it was also listed under the Montreux Record in 1993. Human activity has led to severe pressure on the lake ecosystem.