Kathmandu, September 4:

A regional technical workshop on the ‘Himalayan Wetlands Initiative’ held here stressed on the need to conserve wetlands for sustainable development.

Representatives from six countries — Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan — the RAMSAR Convention Secretariat for Wetlands, Wetlands International, WWF, IUCN and ICIMOD met for three days. The workshop was held from September 1 to 3.

During the workshop, RAMSAR representatives and ICIMOD experts said snow and ice were threatened by climate change and could potentially reduce water level in rivers in the dry season, stated a press release issued today by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the organiser of the workshop.

Various studies suggest that warming in the Himalayan region has been much greater than the global average over the last 100 years, stated the release.