Impact of Climate Change on Health and Livelihood of People in the Hindu Kush Himalayan Region

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is a vast mountain range that is spread over eight countries and contains the ten-river system that originates from the highest peak of the earth and is the source of livelihood for around 240 million people of the world. The HKH region is one of the hotspots of climate change and the people residing in this region are vulnerable to the different impacts caused by climate change. The HKH region is warming faster than the global average. Due to the increase in temperature glacial lakes are melting. Because of climate change, tropical diseases are being expanded in the highlands along with the increase in the incidence of water—and food-borne diseases and food insecurity thereby affecting the health, well-being, and livelihood of people. This chapter aims to cover the situation of climate change in HKH, the effects of climate change on the growth, development, and transmission of several vector-borne diseases, water-borne diseases, food-borne diseases along with effects on noncommunicable diseases, injuries, and mental health. Also, this chapter highlights the effects of climate change on the gender roles and livelihood of the people. Finally, initiative on climate change adaptation and mitigation measures in the HKH region is documented.