The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is one of the most vulnerable regions in the world to the impacts of climate change. Wide-ranging threats are already impacting ecosystems and millions of people living in the region and downstream, and are also being felt across all sectors of society. In the face of new challenges brought about by climate change and its economic, social and environmental impacts, it is crucial that HKH countries (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan) increase their knowledge of climate change and its ongoing and projected impacts. This Outlook has been developed to address some of these critical information needs. The document synthesizes and analyses climate change adaptation policies and responses in the mountainous regions of the HKH, and examines whether these address key climate change risks. This Outlook was created through an assessment
process that followed four main steps. Chapter 1 introduces the HKH region, setting out the context and in particular, highlighting the links between its environmental and socioeconomic conditions, its vulnerability to climate change, and adaptation efforts. Chapter 2 identifies the main climate hazards, vulnerabilities of different sectors and key risks that are considered priorities to be addressed through adaptation policies. Chapter 3 outlines existing policies and strategies for climate change adaptation, while chapter 4 analyses the extent to which these measures can respond to the key risks identified (gap analysis).

Mercury is toxic for humans, and the toxic effects of different forms of mercury have been extensively studied. Human biomonitoring is recognized as the most effective tool for evaluation of cumulative human exposure to mercury. In-utero development is the most vulnerable stage for the long-term adverse neurodevelopmental effects of mercury. Characterizing prenatal exposure is critical for evaluating public health impacts of mercury and assessing public health benefits of exposure reduction measures. Approaches to estimating exposure to mercury include measuring mercury levels in different biological matrices. The level of mercury in tissues can be an indicator of exposure to various types of mercury. The validity, usefulness and meaning of such measurements depend on the form of mercury exposure, type of tissue measurement and other factors. This document consists of standard operating procedures describing the assessment of mercury in hair, cord blood and urine. Quality control is essential to get reliable results. The document also provides information on alternative methods that can be used for analysis of mercury.

The United Nations List of Protected Areas (hereafter referred to as ‘the UN List’) is a list of terrestrial, coastal and marine protected areas designated by governments around the world. Since its initial publication in 1961/62, successive editions of the UN List have documented the evolution and expansion of the global network of protected areas.
This new edition of the UN List provides an updated picture of the global protected area estate as it stands in July 2018. Progress achieved since 2014 in expanding the coverage of protected areas in the marine and terrestrial realms is reviewed, and for the first time information on the management effectiveness of these areas is included. This UN List, together with the Protected Planet
Report 2018, provides the most comprehensive picture of the status and trends of the global protected area network worldwide.