In 2015, with the signing of the BParis Agreement^, 195 countries committed to limiting the increase in global temperature to less than 2°C with respect to pre-industrial levels and to aim at limiting the increase to 1.5°C by 2100. The regional ramifications of those thresholds remain however largely unknown and variability in the magnitude of change and the associated impacts are yet to be quantified. We provide a regional quantitative assessment of the impacts of a 1.5 versus a 2°C global warming for a major global climate change hotspot: the Indus, Ganges, and Brahmaputra river basins (IGB) in South Asia, by analyzing changes in climate change indicators based on 1.5 and 2°C global warming scenarios. In the analyzed ensemble of general circulation models, a global temperature increase of 1.5°C implies a temperature increase of 1.4-2.6 (μ = 2.1)°C for the IGB. For the 2.0°C scenario, the increase would be 2.0-3.4 (μ = 2.7)°C. We show that climate change impacts are more adverse under 2°C versus 1.5°C warming and that changes in the indicators' values are in general linearly correlated to average temperature increase. We also show that for climate projections following Representative Concentration Pathways 4.5 and 8.5, which may be more realistic, the regional temperature increases and changes in climate change indicators are much stronger than for the 1.5 and 2°C scenarios.

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Direct selection for yield under drought has resulted in the release of a number of drought-tolerant rice varieties across Asia. In this study, we characterized physiological traits affected by that strategy in breeding trials across sites in Bangladesh, India, and Nepal. The drought breeding lines and drought-tolerant varieties showed consistently longer flag leaves and lower stomatal density than the drought-susceptible check, IR64. The influence of environmental parameters other than drought treatments on leaf traits was evidenced by the close grouping of treatments within a site. Flag leaf length and width appeared to be regulated by different environmental parameters. In separate trials in the Philippines, the same breeding lines studied in South Asia showed that canopy temperature under drought and harvest index across treatments were most correlated with grain yield. Both atmospheric and soil stress increased the relationship between leaf traits and yield. The stable expression of leaf traits among genotypes and the identification of the environmental conditions in which they contribute to yield, as well as the observation that some breeding lines showed longer time to flowering and higher canopy temperature than IR64, suggest that selection for additional physiological traits may result in further improvement of this breeding pool.

Bangladesh has been experiencing increased temperature and change in precipitation regime, which might adversely affect the important ecosystems in the country differentially. The river flows and groundwater recharge over space and time are determined by changes in temperature, evaporation and crucially precipitation. These again have a spatio-temporal dimension. This geospatial modeling research aimed at investigating spatial patterns and changing trends of temperature and rainfall within the geographical boundary of Bangladesh. This would facilitate better understanding the change pattern and their probable impacts on the ecosystem. The southeastern region, which is one of the most important forest ecosystem zones in the country, is experiencing early onset and withdrawal of rain but increasing trends in total rainfall except in the Monsoon season. This means that the region is experiencing a lower number of rainy days. However, total rainfall has not changed significantly. The differential between maximum and minimum showed an increasing trend. This changing pattern in average max and min temperature along with precipitation might cause a situation in which the species that are growing now may shift to suitable habitats elsewhere in the future. Consequently, the biodiversity, watersheds and fisheries, productivity of land, agriculture and food security in the region will be affected by these observed changes in climate.

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To manage the transboundary water resources of the Ganges-Brahmaputra-Meghna (GBM) River Basin, it is important to identify and understand the complex upstream-downstream linkages in the basin. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of social, economic and cultural processes of the GBM Basin and examines existing mechanisms for governing the shared water resources. It draws attention to the uneven power relations between countries that share the basin and how it affects transboundary water governance. The review concludes that the countries need to strengthen cooperation and harness benefits arising from economic, social, and cultural aspects and proposes multilateral cooperation over the existing bilateral cooperation approach in the region.

Multi-stakeholder engagement is critical for making progress towards Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 6 ‘Ensure access to water and sanitation for all’, which is currently off track to be achieved by 2030. The aim of this paper was to investigate mutual accountability and multi-stakeholder platforms in the WASH sector in a diverse range of countries. Data were collected by Sanitation and Water for All (SWA) Research and Learning Constituency partners and collaborators in five SWA member countries: Bangladesh, Indonesia, Kenya, Peru and Somalia. Data collection involved document review, key informant interviews and workshops, and an online questionnaire. Across all the case study countries, there were no clear examples of mutual accountability mechanisms being widely used in the WASH sector. However, the findings indicate that some of the case study countries have active WASH multi-stakeholder platforms involving a range of actors from government, civil society and the private sector; however, these typically function as coordination and communication platforms rather than supporting mutual accountability. Other case study countries did not have multi-stakeholder platforms involving a diverse range of actors, and instead had platforms established for single stakeholder groups such as the private sector or civil society, leaving certain groups out of activities. Overall, the study highlights the importance of establishing strong multi-stakeholder processes and platforms that bring together a range of actors including government, civil society, private sector, research actors, and WASH external support organizations. Such platforms could provide a foundation to enable mutual accountability between these actors by providing a space to set commitments and monitor progress and have potential to strengthen WASH systems both nationally and globally.

Many deltaic regions around the world are exploring or adopting planning initiatives to address the complex challenges associated with future economic development and climate change. A key feature is their adaptive nature, also coined as adaptive delta management (ADM). ADM refers to the development of strategies and measures that allow us to adapt to change over a long time. The Government of Bangladesh has recently approved the Bangladesh Delta Plan 2100 (BDP2100) – a long-term adaptive strategy for sustainable water resources management. This study aims to explore the future capacity requirements from the perspective of water/delta professionals for implementing BDP2100. This calls for structural and institutional changes, and new skills and competencies to address the specific organisational and individual needs for effective delivery. A capacity development programme as an integral part of BDP2100 is currently under development. Adopting a qualitative approach, 16 key informant interviews were conducted with experts and professionals from the water and water-related sectors in Bangladesh. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyse the data. The participants reflected that an integrated and adaptive system is critical for sustainable delta management; collaboration and coordination between water/delta professionals (e.g., policy planners, consultants, and academics) and delta expert stakeholders with deep local familiarity (e.g., communities, activists, and civil society members) were deemed essential. In addition, a powerful independent institutional body is recommended to provide stewardship and leadership in the implementation process.