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Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water
Ilona Szekeres

Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water

About Us

The Geopolitics and Ecology of Himalayan Water is a new project of the eARThumanities at New York University Abu Dhabi (NYUAD) in collaboration with the Rachel Carson Center, LMU Munich. As the climate crisis worsens, a vast swath of Asian countries for which the Himalayan water supply constitutes the most important lifeline, are faced with mounting insecurity. The scramble for uninterrupted access to ample fresh-water supplies is increasingly triggering a geopolitical dispute among the continent’s strongest powers, eroding interstate cooperation. This initiative also aspires to become a teaching lab for making interdisciplinary connections and drawing parallels across a wide range of human-environment problems. Areas of research will cover history, science, engineering, data, geopolitics, anthropology, food security, film, policy design, writing, etc. and advance the agenda of interdisciplinary research and collaboration across the divisions at NYU Abu Dhabi (NYUAD), NYU’s Global Network University (GNU), the Rachel Carson Center and other important international institutions.

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featured Podcast

A brief overview of geopolitics and ecology of himalayan water

We felt there was a need for a resource base that would bring everything together on one site. The significance of this initiative is that it's interdisciplinary, spanning everything from politics to climate science.

Tibetan Prayer Flags
Tibetan Prayer Flags

Featured Article

In this article, Shuvabi Pradhan and Sangam Paudel delve into the numerous actors involved in hydropower plants in Nepal, focusing on the ecological, social, and political ramifications of big, reservoir-style dams.

Nepal's Big Dams

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upcoming event

bearning witness: Human footprint on the himalaya

For decades Dawa Steven Sherpa has borne witness to the transformation of the Himalayas by climate change, tourism, and development. 

He speaks to Ruth Gamble, an environmental and cultural historian of Tibet and the Himalaya, about his activism and adventures.

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Founding Head, eARThumanities; Global Distinguished Professor, Environmental Studies and Public Policy, NYU/NYU Abu Dhabi

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Founder and Chief Editor, Nepali Times; Adjunct Professor, NYU Abu Dhabi

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Chair, Global Environmental Politics Program and Director, Natural Resources and Sustainable Development Program, American University 

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Associate Professor of History, NYU Abu Dhabi; Director, NYUAD Global Asia Initiative

Core Team

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Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies, NYU Shanghai; Global Network Assistant Professor, NYU

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Rastraraj Bhandari.jpg

Yenching Scholar at Peking University; NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2019

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Research Associate at NYU and Data Driven Envirolab; NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2019

Research Fellows

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Student of Social Research and Public Policy; NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2021

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Graduate student of Water Engineering and Management at Asian Institute of Technology; NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2020

Get in Touch

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Student of Economics, NYU Abu Dhabi Class of 2023

Project Partners

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