Temperature rise affecting mountain food security

By A Staff Reporter,Kathmandu, Apr. 24 : Rising temperatures are compounding the risks to food security in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas.

Traditional irrigation methods and limited access to energy are hindering agricultural productivity in these high-altitude regions, said participants at a conference co-hosted by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC) on Tuesday.

As 87 per cent of Nepal’s cultivable land in the hills and mountains lacks year-round irrigation facilities, the conference will explore how renewables can address this critical need and boost food security, read a press release issued by CICMOD.

Harnessing renewable energy could revolutionise food security in the mountains of the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH), it said.

The conference titled “Advancing Productive Uses of Renewable Energy in Agriculture in the HKH,” explored the potential of renewable energy sources to transform mountain farming. The event brought together stakeholders to discuss strategies for scaling up these solutions for mountain communities in the HKH, according to a press statement.

Clean energy – hydro, solar, biomass and wind – is abundant in the HKH. With rising temperatures compounding the risks to food security experts argued that it was crucial for agriculture, which provides one-fifth of the region’s gross domestic product, to embrace renewables’ potential to transform yields, and food security, and to transition away from polluting energy sources, it said.

Participants investigated how renewable energy can be used to transform mountain agriculture and irrigation practices, leading to increased productivity and resilience.

A key focus of the conference was on fostering collaboration among stakeholders to facilitate the wider adoption of renewable energy solutions in mountain communities.