The future is uncertain. Many countries are suffering serious water stress; planned infrastructure projects, including dams, are raising both regional and cross-border tensions and may have severe environmental impacts. Many people in the Himalayan watersheds face high risks from flooding, water shortage and pollution. Future population growth, climatic variation and increasing demands on scarce water resources from agriculture and industry will increase these risks. Mitigating them will demand high levels of cooperation.
The region’s river systems are interrelated and cross many national boundaries. Protecting vital systems and restoring damaged ones demands systemic understanding, sound planning, good decision making. This requires the most comprehensive information possible to foster the building of expertise, long-term thinking and collaboration between governments, experts and civil organisations. thethirdpole.net was launched four years ago as a project of chinadialogue.net, in partnership with Earth Journalism Network. This unique, standalone platform aims to provide impartial, accurate and balanced information and analysis, and to foster constructive debate on these vital resources from across the region. thethirdpole.net aims to reflect the impacts at every level, from the poorest communities to the highest reaches of government, and to promote knowledge sharing and cooperation within the region and internationally. We welcome your comments and contributions.
Material published on thethirdpole.net, unless otherwise stated, is published under a Creative Commons licence and available for re-use under Creative Commons rules.
thethirdpole.net, in collaboration with our partners, aims to build networks of understanding that allows experts and media professionals, scientists and policy-makers to share knowledge and perspectives.
Internews Network and Internews Europe developed the Earth Journalism Network to empower and enable journalists from developing countries to cover the environment more effectively.
chinadialogue.net is an independent, bilingual, Chinese English website that promotes communication on the environment and climate change across barriers of language and culture. It aims to inform, educate and promote equitable and constructive solutions.
Development Alternatives is a Delhi-based non-profit organisation engaged in research and action for sustainable development.
Climate Himalaya is a coalition of civil society groups that aims to serve as a link between practice, science, policy and decision making towards climate adaptation and sustainable mountain development in the Himalayas, based in Dehradun, India.
.
thethirdpole.net is an editorially independent platform, generously supported by the UK Department for International Development (DFID). Please explore our resources page to find out more about the region
thethirdpole.net works in collaboration with partners across the Himalaya and the world to bring regional and international experts, media and civil society together for discussion and information exchange. If you are interested in partnership, or getting involved, please contact beth.walker[at]thethirdpole.net or joydeep.gupta[at]thethirdpole.net