A Fragile Himalaya: Disaster, Adaptation, and the Challenge of Rebuilding 

A Fragile Himalaya: Disaster, Adaptation, and the Challenge of Rebuilding 

The Himalaya have long stood as symbols of permanence. Recent events reveal just how fragile they actually are. Across the Third Pole, retreating glaciers, unstable slopes, changing rivers, floods, and landslides are reshaping both landscapes and lives, from mountain villages to nearly two billion people who depend on Himalayan rivers downstream. Using Nepal as the immediate point of departure, this panel asks how governments and communities must rethink where, what, and how to rebuild in a landscape of changing risk. Bringing together mountain science, community experience, human rights, and adaptation, the discussion explores infrastructure, livelihoods, mobility, cultural and sacred connections, and how local knowledge can help shape a more resilient Himalayan future.

Image credit: K. Sofikitis

Panelists
Jesselina Rana, UN Advisor, CIVICUS
Phurpa Sherpa, Public Relations and Communication Officer, Permanent Mission of Nepal to the United Nations
Alton C. Byers, Senior Research Associate; Co-Manager, High Mountains Adaptation Partnership (HiMAP); Senior Fellow, The Mountain Institute

Moderated by
Sophia Kalantzakos, Global Distinguished Professor in Environmental Studies and Public Policy and Founding Head of the Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water Research Initiative, NYUAD

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