within a decade because of high growth rate. A recent study by Maharjan et al.  on migration documented that 39% of rural communities have at least one migrant, of whom 80% are internal and the remaining 20% are international. Around 10% of the migration is reported as environmental displacement. Males account for the majority of the migration, which forms an important aspect of gendered vulnerability . The ever-expanding urban population in the Himalayas generates many challenges, especially in the context of climate change adaptation. First, unplanned urbanisation is causing significant changes in land use and land cover, with recharge areas of springs being reduced. Most of the towns in Hindu Kush Himalayan region meet their water needs using supplies from springs, ponds and lakes which are largely interlinked systems. Water insecurity in hill towns are becoming the order of the day . Second, climate-induced changes in the physical environment include increased rainfall variability. Due to this, heavy rains are becoming frequent and are leading to more landslides. Third, global warming has increased the average temperature in the Himalayas which has caused glacier melt and subsequent change in hydrological regimes of the region. One of the contributing factors of glacial decline is also the deposition of black carbon  which is contributed by burning of crop residue in Punjab . These critical stressors, climatic and non-climatic, are adversely affecting the socioecology of urban conglomerations in the region . Encroachment or degradation of natural water bodies and the disappearance of traditional water systems such as springs are evident . While water availability in these towns has been adversely affected by the climatic and socioeconomic changes, demand for water has increased greatly . Some of the towns are major tourist attractions that create a floating population in peak tourist seasons, challenging the
IPCC
Climate Change 2022: Impacts, Adaptation and Vulnerability
IPCC Report