Abstract
AbstractThis paper reviews the interlinkages of critical state of water resources, supply systems, rapid urbanisation and demand regime, aggravated by tourism leading to increasing water insecurity in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Urban centres in the HKH have been defined based on different criteria, but mountain-specific criteria are lacking. In the mountains, small settlements such as district headquarters perform a large number of functions, typical of an urban centre. However, they are not formally classified as urban centres because they do not meet the census-defined nationally set criteria of the respective country. Nonetheless, water insecurity is a reality, attributed to: (i) water governance issues; (ii) inappropriate urban planning, failing, and to some extent, unable to account for the floating population, such as tourists; and (iii) the scourge of climate change which could worsen the situation further. Short-term coping strategies to meeting water demands often involve unsustainable solutions, such as groundwater extraction, with long-term repercussions. However, long-term strategies for water sustainability by the governments have been beneficial while others are yet to show success. Initiatives by civil society and governments along similar lines in other countries could lead to a water-secure future for the fragile urban centres of the HKH region.
Highlights
Like the rest of the world, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is witnessing rapid urbanisation attributed to multiple bio-physical and socio-economic drivers leading to large-scale migration; water crises in the urban centres which are already recognised as one of the global high risk factors by WEF (2017) might be a potential issue of geopolitics
Urban growth has been fuelled by large-scale migration of the labour force for new opportunities, students from surrounding rural areas for better education and an immensely growing tourism services sector, leading to urbanisation becoming a reality in the Himalayan region despite its unique physiographic conditions
The factors leading to the rapid urban growth in the HKH may be examined, citylevel case studies indicate that urbanisation trends are rather limited, while substantial literature focuses on environmental degradation mainly due to climate change
Summary
More than half the world’s population already lives in urban centres and this proportion is likely to increase to 66% by 2050. Like the rest of the world, the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region is witnessing rapid urbanisation attributed to multiple bio-physical and socio-economic drivers leading to large-scale migration; water crises in the urban centres which are already recognised as one of the global high risk factors by WEF (2017) might be a potential issue of geopolitics. Urban growth has been fuelled by large-scale migration of the labour force for new opportunities, students from surrounding rural areas for better education and an immensely growing tourism services sector, leading to urbanisation becoming a reality in the Himalayan region despite its unique physiographic conditions. The paper highlights the trends and patterns of urbanisation in mountain states and provinces of Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Pakistan and factors that have led to the urban development.
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