Landslides in Koshi Basin Challenges and Opportunities Dr. Prem Paudel, Department of Forest and Soil Conservation, Government of Nepal Dr. Jianqiang Zhang, Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, China Ms. Kripa Shrestha, ICIMOD, Nepal Mr. Deo Raj Gurung, Aga Khan Agency for Habitat, Tajikistan

Rationale Zhang et al., 2016 Zhangmu Landslide Landslides in 1992: 3559 Landslides in 2010: 3402 Total: 5902 0.5 billion m3 Jure Landslide Zhang et al., 2016 5.5 million m3

Existing situation Data: Historical landslide inventory (1960s, 1992, 2010) Pre-EQ nation wide landslide inventory of Nepal (CDES-TU, 2015) NASA Global Landslide Catalog

Global Landslide Catalog (https://data.nasa.gov/Earth-Science/Global-Landslide-Catalog/h9d8-neg4)

Existing situation……… Knowledge: Distribution (inventory) and impact (disaster and loss database) of landslides Factors inducing landslide Basin scale landslide susceptible situation – not useful for operational level interventions

Existing situation…… Policy Partnership Policies for environmental protection and DRR exits No clause specific to landslide risk management Partnership Project specific research level partnership (unlike flood where country level joint team exists). ICIMOD’s role to facilitate technical exchanges on landslide risk management through establishment of knowledge hub is important.

Gaps Data/sharing platform Historical landslide lacks metadata (time, trigger mechanism, etc.) No dynamic landslide inventory system Common data collection and sharing mechanisms/protocols

Gaps Knowledge gap Complex mechanism of landslide genesis Understanding of landslide – sedimentation – flood nexus Socio-economics of landside and risk (understanding underlying vulnerability) Landslide forecasting and early warning

Gaps….. Knowledge gap Framework and methodologies not site specific Effective prevention and mitigation measures Community based landslide risk management (unlike flood where strong CBDRM practice exits)

Gaps….. Policy/framework/guideline Policies/clauses on control of landslide Coherent inter-agency guideline to streamline landslide risk management activities Inter- and intra country framework/instrument on landslide risk management for transboundary situation

Gaps….. Partnership Partnership between research agencies (academia) and implementing agencies, and national level agencies and community level agencies

Opportunities Research & collaboration Broaden research scope (socio-economic, landslide-sedimentation-flood nexus, control and mitigation) Transboundary basin wide research Cross-learning and capacity building through sharing of best practices

Opportunities Projects & collaboration Transboundary basin wide projects on landslide risk management Formation of Koshi Basin landslide technical team (multi county experts) Formation of Koshi Basin forum/ knowledge hub

Key actions for Koshi DRR Knowledge Hub Facilitate development, and promote common landslide inventory methods/protocols, and methods to identify critical/priority watersheds/hotspots in Koshi basin, through technical/scientific exchanges Promote exchange of good practices in landslide risk management across China, Nepal and China

Key actions for Koshi DRR Knowledge Hub Bridge gap between science and policy through: Promoting research that addresses policy questions Science – policy forum Policy brief Promote trans-boundary and trans-disciplinary exchange of scientific data, information, for scientific research through common knowledge hub

Thank you very much!