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Knowledge Priorities on Climate Change and Water in the Upper Indus Basin: A Horizon Scanning Exercise to Identify the Top 100 Research Questions in Social and Natural Sciences
  • +47
  • Andrew Orr,
  • Bashir Ahmad,
  • Undala Alam,
  • Arivudai N. Appadurai,
  • Zareen P. Bharucha,
  • Hester Biemans,
  • Tobias Bolch,
  • Narayan P. Chaulagain,
  • Sanita Dhaubanjar,
  • A P Dimri,
  • Harry Dixon,
  • Hayley J Fowler,
  • Giovanna Gioli,
  • Sarah Jean Halvorson,
  • Abid Hussain,
  • Ghulam Jeelani,
  • Simi Kamal,
  • Imran Khalid,
  • Shiyin Liu,
  • Arthur Lutz,
  • Meeta K. Mehra,
  • Evan S Miles,
  • Andrea Momblanch,
  • Veruska Muccione,
  • Aditi Mukherji,
  • Daanish Mustafa,
  • Omaid Najmuddin,
  • Mohammad N. Nasimi,
  • Marcus Nüsser,
  • Vishnu Prasad Pandey,
  • Sitara Parveen,
  • Francesca Pellicciotti,
  • Carmel A Pollino,
  • Emily Potter,
  • Mohammad R. Qazizada,
  • Saon Ray,
  • Shakil Ahmad Romshoo,
  • Syamal K. Sarkar,
  • Amiera Sawas,
  • Sumit Sen,
  • Attaullah Shah,
  • M. Azeem Ali Shah,
  • Joseph Shea,
  • Ali T. Sheikh,
  • Arun B. Shrestha,
  • Shresth Tayal,
  • Snehlata Tigala,
  • Zeeshan T. Virk,
  • Philippus Wester,
  • James L Wescoat
Andrew Orr
British Antarctic Survey

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Bashir Ahmad
Pakistan Agriculture Research Council
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Undala Alam
Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office
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Arivudai N. Appadurai
World Resources Institute (WRI-India)
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Zareen P. Bharucha
Anglia Ruskin University
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Hester Biemans
Alterra - Wageningen UR
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Tobias Bolch
University of St Andrews
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Narayan P. Chaulagain
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
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Sanita Dhaubanjar
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
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A P Dimri
Jawaharlal Nehru University
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Harry Dixon
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
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Hayley J Fowler
Newcastle University
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Giovanna Gioli
Bath Spa University
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Sarah Jean Halvorson
University of Montana
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Abid Hussain
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
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Ghulam Jeelani
University of Kashmir, Srinagar, 190006, India
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Simi Kamal
Hissar Foundation
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Imran Khalid
World Wildlife Fund - Pakistan
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Shiyin Liu
Institute of International Rivers and Eco-security, Yunnan University
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Arthur Lutz
Universiteit Utrecht
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Meeta K. Mehra
Jawaharlal Nehru University
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Evan S Miles
Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL
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Andrea Momblanch
Cranfield University
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Veruska Muccione
University of Zurich
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Aditi Mukherji
International Water Management Institute
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Daanish Mustafa
King's College, London
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Omaid Najmuddin
Fujian University of Technology
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Mohammad N. Nasimi
Kabul Polytechnic University
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Marcus Nüsser
Heidelberg University
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Vishnu Prasad Pandey
International Water Management Institute
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Sitara Parveen
Fatima Jinnah Degree College for Women
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Francesca Pellicciotti
ETH Zurich
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Carmel A Pollino
Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO)
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Emily Potter
University of Leeds
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Mohammad R. Qazizada
Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock
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Saon Ray
Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations
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Shakil Ahmad Romshoo
Kashmir university
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Syamal K. Sarkar
The Energy and Resources Institute
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Amiera Sawas
Action Aid UK,
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Sumit Sen
Indian Institute of Technology
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Attaullah Shah
Karakoram International University
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M. Azeem Ali Shah
International Water Management Institute
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Joseph Shea
University of Northern British Columbia
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Ali T. Sheikh
Planning commission of Pakistan
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Arun B. Shrestha
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
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Shresth Tayal
The Energy & Resources Institute
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Snehlata Tigala
The Energy and Resources Institute
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Zeeshan T. Virk
OXFAM
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Philippus Wester
ICIMOD
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James L Wescoat
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Abstract

River systems originating from the Upper Indus Basin (UIB) are dominated by runoff from snow and glacier melt and summer monsoonal rainfall. These water resources are highly stressed as huge populations of people living in this region depend on them, including for agriculture, domestic use, and energy production. Projections suggest that the UIB region will be affected by considerable (yet poorly quantified) changes to the seasonality and composition of runoff in the future, which are likely to have considerable impacts on these supplies. Given how directly and indirectly communities and ecosystems are dependent on these resources and the growing pressure on them due to ever-increasing demands, the impacts of climate change pose considerable adaptation challenges. The strong linkages between hydroclimate, cryosphere, water resources, and human activities within the UIB suggest that a multi- and inter-disciplinary research approach integrating the social and natural/environmental sciences is critical for successful adaptation to ongoing and future hydrological and climate change. Here we use a horizon scanning technique to identify the Top 100 questions related to the most pressing knowledge gaps and research priorities in social and natural sciences on climate change and water in the UIB. These questions are on the margins of current thinking and investigation and are clustered into 14 themes, covering three overarching topics of ‘governance, policy, and sustainable solutions’, ‘socioeconomic processes and livelihoods’, and ‘integrated Earth System processes’. Raising awareness of these cutting-edge knowledge gaps and opportunities will hopefully encourage researchers, funding bodies, practitioners, and policy makers to address them.
Apr 2022Published in Earth's Future volume 10 issue 4. 10.1029/2021EF002619