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2nd Regional Upper Indus Basin Network (UIB-N) Workshop
11 Feb 2019
Glaciers in the upper reaches of the Indus River basin are an important source of freshwater. However, as climate change in the region affects water flows, sectoral development will also be influenced.
READ MOREMyanmar delegation visits Nepal to learn about community forestry practices
07 Feb 2019Forest degradation with a concomitant loss of ecosystem services is a critical issue in Shan State, Myanmar, which is one of the pilot sites of the Resilient Mountain Solutions (RMS) Initiative led by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).
READ MOREICIMOD’s partners in Nepal hail successful cryosphere research collaboration
31 Jan 2019
Systematic long-term monitoring of the cryosphere is important to address data gaps and answer critical questions related to regional water cycles and disaster risk. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) organized a cryosphere monitoring programme meeting with its partners in Nepal on 30 October 2018 to review past works, share information, and plan future collaboration.
READ MORECommunities across the Mahakali agree on the sustainable management of yartsa gunbu
29 Jan 2019
Although yartsa gunbu – the “caterpillar fungus” – is one of the most socioeconomically important species in the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL), the future viability of this high-value medicinal plant is being threatened by unsustainable practices. Accordingly, communities and local authorities in India and Nepal have recently signed a declaration to commit to sustainable yartsa gunbu harvesting and management.
READ MORECollaborative research on the Ponkar Glacier with Kathmandu University
25 Jan 2019
Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) serve as a major source of the water in the region’s rivers. They also provide clear climate change indicators and are essential to understanding future water availability for downstream communities. Accordingly, researchers from the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and Kathmandu University (KU) carried out their second joint field expedition to the Ponkar Glacier in Manang, Nepal, from 24 September to 6 October 2018.
READ MORERiver Basins in the Age of Federalism
25 Jan 2019
Nepal recently adopted a federal government system. The new federal structure is being institutionalized on numerous fronts, including the sustainable management of natural resources. Clarity on the governance and stewardship of these resources is urgent as millions of people in the country, especially the poorest, directly depend on natural resources and river basins for daily survival and for their livelihoods.
READ MORERegional water-related disaster experts discuss gaps in flood early warning communication and potential solutions
24 Jan 2019
The three-day regional workshop on “Communicating flood early warning for last-mile connectivity” held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 2 to 4 October 2018 ended with an agreement among participants to produce case studies on good practices in flood early warning communication as currently practiced in Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Pakistan.
READ MOREGlaciologists share their research findings from the three “poles”
21 Jan 2019
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is often referred to as the “Third Pole” because it contains the world’s highest mountains, including all 14 peaks above 8,000 metres, is the source of 10 major rivers, and forms a formidable global ecological buffer.
READ MORERMS to Facilitate Uptake of Solutions for Resilience Building in the HKH
10 Jan 2019
One year in the running, the RMS initiative, which evolved out of the Himalayan Climate Change Adaptation Programme (HICAP) of ICIMOD, aims to promote and scale up simple, affordable, and replicable solutions for adaptation and resilience building among vulnerable communities and ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region.
READ MOREPartnering with private enterprise and communities to manage flood risk
10 Jan 2019
Disasters are an unavoidable aspect of life in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Floods account for a third of these disasters and cause great loss to lives and livelihoods, destroy infrastructure and disrupt basic services. Community based flood early warning system (CBFEWS) is an integrated system of tools and plans to detect and respond to flood emergencies.
READ MOREICIMOD receives Global Outstanding Achievement Award 2018
28 Dec 2018
ICIMOD’s Transboundary Landscapes Regional Programme has received the Renewable Natural Resources Foundation’s (RNRF) Outstanding Achievement Award for 2018. The award was given in recognition of the Programme’s continuous efforts and work in advocating the use of the landscape approach, which delineates areas based on shared ecosystems instead of administrative boundaries, for sustaining ecosystem services, managing biodiversity and protecting unique cultural and natural attributes.
READ MOREHow a cross-border exchange helped revive a traditional craft
23 Dec 2018
At a recent exhibition of cultural handicrafts in Gangtok, Sikkim, India, one item stood out among the rest. Two women in their mid-thirties – Ankit Lepcha and Pasangkit Lepcha – had come from Dzongu, 65 km away from Gangtok, to sell unique knit bags made from nettle fibre. Although nettle is a fibre traditionally used by the indigenous Lepcha community, this bag combined natural fibre with modern design, resulting in a product that drew attention to this vanishing craft.
READ MOREGovernance Structure for Pakistan Chapter of Upper Indus Basin Network Recommended
19 Dec 2018
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) organized a meeting of the Pakistan Chapter (PC) of the Upper Indus Basin Network (UIBN) on 29 November 2018 at the National Agricultural Research Centre in Islamabad. The main objective of the meeting was to discuss and decide on a governance structure of UIBN-PC. Khalid Mohtadullah, Chairperson of the UIBN, chaired the meeting, which was attended by over 30 participants.
READ MOREBrick Entrepreneurs in Pakistan Learn to Construct and Operate Zig-zag Brick Kilns
12 Dec 2018
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), and the Department of International Development (DFID) Nepal are working to scale up the adoption of zig-zag kiln technology and good brick production practices from Nepal to other South Asian countries.
READ MOREPreliminary Findings Suggest Debris Cover Does Not Accelerate Glacier Melt
12 Dec 2018
Preliminary findings from in-situ observations of glaciers in the Karakoram indicate that debris cover does not accelerate glacier melt. This contradicts findings of earlier observations on Himalayan glaciers where thin debris layer has been shown to accelerate the glacier melt process.
READ MOREMountains Matter in the IPCC Sixth Assessment Report Cycle
11 Dec 2018
What happens in mountains directly affects one fourth of the world’s population, and more than half of humanity relies on freshwater from mountains. However, decisions about mountain resources are often made outside of the mountains, and mountains have received limited attention in the global development agenda.
READ MOREPreserving Traditions and Strengthening Livelihoods through Transboundary Yak Conservation
11 Dec 2018
Domesticated yak (Bos grunniens), an icon of the Himalayan highlands, are an important part of the livelihoods of mountain communities in Asia. Yak herding is practiced across the Himalaya – including the Tibetan Plateau and Mongolia – and is tied to the shared culture of the region.
READ MOREFostering Regional Cooperation for Primate Conservation and Research in the Far-Eastern Himalaya
10 Dec 2018
The meetings involved protected area managers, scholars, and experts from within and outside the landscape and explored opportunities and constraints associated with research and conservation of primates in Asia. Information on the conservation status of primates, particularly gibbons, and associated monitoring trends was exchanged. Participants also shared information on habitat suitability assessments, the feeding habits of primates, and the need to develop a technical manual for transboundary collaboration for monitoring and information sharing in the landscape.
READ MOREBenefit Sharing from Hydropower Generation in South Asia
07 Dec 2018
Eleven researchers from India, Nepal, and Pakistan gathered in Kathmandu from 5–7 September 2018 to discuss and finalize the findings of their research on benefit sharing from hydropower in their respective countries. Their research was commissioned by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) with funding from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Government of Australia.
READ MOREGovernment of Nepal and ICIMOD Initiate Localization of Environmental Agenda and Issues at Provincial Level
28 Nov 2018
The Department of Environment, Government of Nepal (GoN) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) conducted the Environment Convention 2075 (2018) in Kathmandu, Nepal on 2 October 2018 as the first step towards preparing a national framework that will guide provincial and local governments in formulating provincial and local level environmental policies.
READ MOREFestival Provides Platform to Discuss Future of Yak Herding in the Kangchenjunga Landscape
28 Nov 2018
The domestic yak – long a cornerstone of mountain cultures and economies across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) – is facing an uncertain future.
READ MORENepal hosts second transboundary yak festival in the Kangchenjunga Landscape
28 Nov 2018
In April 2018, more than 1,000 people gathered in Falelung, a Nepali remote village in the Singalila range of the Kangchenjunga landscape for the country’s second annual yak festival.
READ MORERenewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Capability for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (REEECH) Initiative launched to address energy poverty in the region
26 Nov 2018
A regional centre of excellence on Sustainable Energy for All (SE4ALL) was launched at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on 13 November 2018 to improve access to sustainable energy services in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.
READ MOREValley Mayors Commit to Clean Valley Air
20 Nov 2018
As winter sets in, air pollution in Kathmandu Valley is re-emerging as the biggest environmental challenge it faces, presenting a daily struggle for its citizens. Elected authorities of the local government are under intense pressure to address this complex problem.
READ MOREBam-e-Dunya: a network to bolster conservation efforts on the roof of the world
24 Oct 2018
This historic agreement lays the foundation for long-term collaboration and exchange to conserve fragile ecosystems and help mountain communities adapt and thrive in the face of rapid cultural, economic, and environmental change. ‘Bam-e-Dunya’ is a Persian phrase meaning ‘roof of the world’.
READ MOREICIMOD supports Myanmar in drafting REDD+ Action Plan for Shan State
21 Sep 2018
Myanmar has the largest remaining forest area in Southeast Asia, with 44% of its land classified as forest, but it also has the world’s third highest deforestation rate. Large scale deforestation is a major source of greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is a mechanism that gives financial incentives to developing countries to reduce deforestation and forest degradation and promote forest conservation and sustainable management.
READ MOREICIMOD makes available more datasets for download
13 Sep 2018
The Regional Database System (RDS) of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has made available a new tranche of datasets for free download. All 16 data layers/tables listed below can be downloaded free from ICIMOD’s RDS portal.
READ MORETrails of Disaster: Experiences from a Trip to Barhabise
10 Sep 2018
When I now think about Barhabise, I not only think about the marks that disasters leave in nature and in people’s lives, but also about how life continues after a disaster. In some respects, nothing will have changed, yet nothing will ever be the same again. People will carry on with their daily lives, but the memories will remain.
READ MORESustainable Development in the Indian Himalayan Region
31 Aug 2018
NITI Aayog – the premier policy think tank of the Government of India – released a series of reports providing a roadmap towards sustainable development in the Indian Himalayan Region. ICIMOD was honoured to be part of the process, having contributed in each of the working groups, in the production of the reports and at the launch event.
READ MOREBest Practices to Counter Climate Change Shared in Gilgit-Baltistan
31 Aug 2018A policy roundtable, Building Climate Resiliency in Gilgit-Baltistan, held at the Karakorum International University on 26 June 2018, emphasized the effectiveness of innovations in water use and management systems. Community-based flood early warning systems (CBFEWS), bioengineering, high value agricultural systems, and use of renewable energy systems and income generating activities were discussed during the event.
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