Social networking is a process of clustering individuals, creating social relations among them, and, eventually, forming groups through the identification of commonalities including common objectives. The history of social networking is as old as the history of mankind itself. Since the hunting and gathering age we have seen different forms of social networks changing, redefining, and constantly improving. A big shift in this process can be seen after the industrial revolution, especially after the invention of audio-visual and Internet technologies. It is said that radio took 35 years to find its market, television 15 years, the Internet 5 years, and Google (search) 3 years. The race doesn’t stop there. Recent estimates show that Facebook, an online social network site (SNS) launched on 4 February 2004, caught on in only 2 years.

Most importantly, with the increased investment to reduce the digital divide in rural areas and with the introduction of new communication tools, online social networks (OSNs) have found their market very quickly in these areas. As a result, SNSs like Facebook, MySpace, LinkedIn, Cyworld, Ning, Hi5, and Bebo have memberships in the hundreds of millions. Inspired by the increasing popularity of online social networking sites, almost all new generation smartphones and devices are offering direct access to SNSs. Social networking sites are also further improving their platforms, making them more usable, more secure, quicker, more attractive, and easier to use. For example, Facebook upgraded its site three times last year alone. Reviewing the history of major SNSs, it is important to note that it all started with the launch of ‘Six Degrees.com’ in 1997 (later closed in 2000), which was then followed by ‘LiveJournal’, ‘Asian Avenue’, and ‘BlackPlanet’ in 1999; ‘Cyworld’ and ‘Ryze’ in 2001; ‘Fotolog’, ‘Friendstar’, and ‘Skyblog’ in 2002; LinkedIn, ‘MySpace’, and ‘Hi5’ in 2003; ‘Orkut’ and ‘Flickr’ in 2004; ‘YouTube’, ‘Bebo’, and ‘Ning’ in 2005; ‘Windows Live Space’ and ‘Twitter’ in 2006; and so on. Most recent examples include Google’s ‘Wave’ launched in late 2009 and ‘Buzz’ in February 2010. In the last 14 years, many SNSs have closed; some were re-launched with further improvements, and a few merged to form a richer membership base. This period has also witnessed the launch of SNSs in many languages, covering different geographic regions and targeting diverse groups. In this race, the Harvard-only Facebook was opened to college networks in 2005 and to the public at large in 2006. Today, it boasts a membership base of over 400 million active users worldwide. However, one thing has never changed: the ‘base’ of these sites, which has always left them vulnerable to the next ‘new’ thing. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: these sites have changed the human dimension of Internet communication. They have opened up new avenues for investment and returns. This has increased the competition among investors to develop and further improve their platforms, diversify their uses, and create an addiction among the users.

The potential and merits of social networking have been recognised by almost every sector of the economy and by every class of people. In recent years, many conservation and development organisations have jumped on the social networking bandwagon. They have created online groups of their members on social networking sites, to whom they provide updates of organisational activities and events; they also encourage members to provide feedback, post opinion pieces, and otherwise share knowledge with each other, thus adding value.

The Asia-Pacific Mountain Network (APMN), an ICIMOD-established knowledge sharing platform connecting mountain regions and communities through dialogue and networking in Asia and the Pacific, has been using some of these sites to promote the mountain agenda among its community members and interest groups. All major events and activities undertaken by APMN are publicised through event pages and group pages created in the SNSs, including the status of the administrator itself Thus, the power of SNSs has been harnessed to accomplish a number of communications-oriented tasks: from enhancing the APMN profile and increasing its membership base, to publicising mountain issues and building a multicultural and diverse network to advocate for the mountain agenda.

A second phase planning workshop for the project, ‘Documenting Local Adaptation Strategies to Climate-Induced Water Stress and Hazards in the HKH Region’ was held in Dhulikhel, Nepal from 3 to 5 February 2010. The workshop reflected on the achievements and lessons of the first phase and presented the key findings and lessons from the first phase policy research. Reflecting on first phase achievements, the International Institute for Environment and Development (IIED) and Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) lauded the project for bringing adaptation experiences on the ground to world attention in ways that were novel and well received.

While the first phase focused on case studies, the second phase will broaden its focus to encompass four thematic studies on the themes of adaptation to local water governance (led by Aga Khan Rural Support Programme [AKRSP]), agricultural diversification and intensification (led by Kunming Institute of Botany [KIB] and the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry [ICRAF]), flood mitigation infrastructure (led by Aaranyak), and livelihood diversification, including migration (led by ICIMOD). During the workshop, the four study teams were launched, and a common framework for analysis and work plans agreed upon. The thematic studies have a regional focus and will incorporate the policy dimension as well; therefore, the study teams will work in close collaboration with each other and with the field and policy support teams. The second phase will end in December 2010 and the key findings are expected to be presented at COP 16.

1. Delineate the boundaries of community forest areas
2. Conduct ground truthing for accuracy assessment of high resolution GeoEye1 satellite imagery (0.5m)
3. Collect sample plots for land cover mappi

As part of the National Adaptation Programme of Action (NAPA), the NAPA team organised a one-day workshop entitled ‘Establishing a National Climate Change Knowledge Management Platform in Nepal: A brainstorming workshop’ at Hotel Himalaya on 18 January 2009.

The workshop was attended by over 100 participants representing organisations working on climate change related issue in Nepal including the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), World Wild Fund for Nature (WWF), the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Practical Action, United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), Local Initiatives for Biodiversity Research and Development (Li-Bird), Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu University, Institute of Forestry, Adapt Nepal, Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (WECS)/Government of Nepal, and the National Academy of Science and Technology (NAST), just to name a few. ICIMOD was invited to make special presentations on its approach to managing climate change adaptation related knowledge and how NAPA can learn and benefit from existing tools, approaches, and knowledge repositories of ICIMOD. Ms Bidya Banmali, Ms Joyce Mendez, and Mr Tek Jung Mahat of ICIMOD were present at the event. Mr Mahat gave a brief presentation on the ‘Role of ICIMOD in supporting the national climate change knowledge management platform in Nepal’, and representatives of UNDP Nepal and Knowledge Support UNEP-Bangkok very much appreciated ICIMOD’s work and expressed their interest in working with ICIMOD’s Knowledge Management team in the future.

With support of a $40,000 grant from the Elsevier Science Foundation, ICIMOD’s library will initiate steps to develop a regional mountain library platform with bibliographical references and full text documents, videos and images on mountain development subjects. The Elsevier grant enables ICIMOD to excel its plans to develop a regional mountain platform holding multimedia formats (books, journal articles, grey literature, ICIMOD’s publications, documentaries, images etc) on climate change, watershed, biodiversity, conservation, gender, medical plants, and the market, serving general users, students, researchers, NGOs, policymakers, and rural mountain communities. The aim is furthermore to enhance accessibility to mountain collections in regional research institutes and universities.

• The training enhanced respect, openness, and good relationships between ‘change agents’ (participants) and ‘change sponsors’ (participants’ supervisors). The openness will help avoid ‘change agents’ becoming a separate group, more loyal to their own ideas than those of their organisations.
• The training presented a new approach through ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ and a positive psychology. There seemed to be broad agreement on how to bring about a healthy balance between safe and scary change, and between focusing on problems and on opportunities.
• The training also covered governance principles and management criteria (such as effectiveness, transparency, confidentiality, and timeliness.) to focus initially vague notions of why and how to change.
• The training brought together GOs and NGOs in a positive context.
• The training ended with concrete follow-up action agreements.

An exchange visit was organised from 19 to 27 December 2009 to observe technologies on arid/semiarid agriculture implemented by Lanzhou University (LU) in Gansu province in the People’s Republic of China; to share the standard World Overview of Conservation Approaches and Technologies (WOCAT) method for documenting Sustainable Land Management (SLM) technologies and approaches; and to introduce the WOCAT/Himalayan Conservation Approaches and Technologies (HIMCAT) network to Lanzhou University colleagues.

SLM technologies implemented in arid/semiarid regions, such as biogas plants inside poly house-cattle sheds, water harvesting technologies (roof rainwater and runoff water), plastic film technology, sand and gravel covered fields, terraces with contour bunds, poly houses, and compost application methods, were identified as ‘potential technologies‘ for conducting participatory action research (PAR) in the upcoming ADB-HIMALI project in Nepal.

Lanzhou University, through its national partners, is implementing different SLM technologies, but most of them are not systematically documented and shared. LU is very interested in documenting and sharing technologies and approaches implemented in Gansu province together with ICIMOD. For the documentation and sharing of SLM technologies and approaches, LU found WOCAT to be an appropriate tool. LU is also interested in training LU staff and partners on the WOCAT method. Professors from the University expressed interest in organising a WOCAT training in Gansu province, in which they would also like to invite partners from other arid provinces of China. LU is also interested in providing technical support to the upcoming ADB-HIMALI project.

A national workshop-cum-training on ‘Development and Harmonisation of Land Cover Classification of Myanmar within the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) Region’ was held at the Planning and Statistics Division, Department of Forest of Myanmar, in Nay Pi Taw from 14 to 18 December 2009. This workshop cum training was conducted by the Mountain Environment and Natural Resources’ Information System (MENRIS) Division of ICIMOD, supported by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), and in cooperation with the Department of Forest of Myanmar as a part of a regional land cover mapping initiative for the HKH region.

This workshop-cum-training was organised as a follow up to the regional workshop on ‘Development and Harmonisation of Land Cover Classification in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) Region’ held in Kathmandu from 13 to 24 October 2008. The primary objectives included upgrading the general legend with inputs derived from local knowledge and the host country’s perspective; preparation of a national legend harmonised at the regional level; training national representatives on the use of classification software; and establishing a work plan for the production of final national land cover datasets.

A presentation on ‘Design Method of Temporary Architecture for Glacial Lake Survey in Himalaya’ was given by Mr Reiji Watabe at ICIMOD Headquarters in Khumaltar, Nepal on 1 December 2009.

Mr Watabe presented three different temporary shelter models designed for use at high altitude, and particularly for glacier and glacial lake survey. His models were designed for heat insulation, space inside the shelter, ease of construction and relocation, and, most importantly, robustness in extreme climatic conditions. The models are suitable for use in high altitudes to replace the conventional tents that are currently being used by glacier and glacial lake scientists as shelters during research trips. His models can be used from six months to a year, regardless of the weather conditions, for intensive glacier and glacial lake research, thus giving them an edge over tents and other temporary shelters.

Mr Watabe is an environmental architect and a student of Prof Hiromichi Fukui at the Graduate School of Media and Governance at Keio University of Japan.

1–2 March 2010
Great HimalayaTrail international conference
Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact: Ester Kruk
Read more: http://www.icimod.org/?page=700

Read More:
ICIMOD, Netherlands Development Organization (SNV), and Eco Himal, in collaboration with the University of Salzburg and Eurasia Pacific Uninet, are organising a Himalaya Trails Regional Workshop from 1 to 2 March 2010 at ICIMOD’s Headquarters in Khumaltar, Nepal. The workshop will bring together different stakeholders to discuss the status and progress of different pro-poor mountain trail development initiatives in the Himalayas and beyond. As an innovative pro-poor mountain trail development model, the Great Himalaya Trail, as it is currently being developed in Nepal, will be one of the case studies that will be discussed during the workshop. Other case studies include, for instance, the Cultural Routes programme, which has been developed very successfully in the European Alps and beyond. Part of the workshop will be reserved for a regional market place, in which regional stakeholders will exchange information about key pro-poor trail development initiatives in their country/state, and their impact on poverty reduction, sustainable mountain development, and heritage conservation. The workshop will be attended by approximately 60 participants from Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The workshop aims to provide a first step in formatting a Himalaya Trails (HIT) regional network and to explore interest in further collaboration on a coordinated regional HIT programme. Participation is by invitation only.

2–3 March 2010
Rangeland consultation workshop
Islamabad, Pakistan
Contact: Yi Shaoliang

5–6 March 2010
ICIMOD Nepal Day
Contact: Madhav B. Karki

8–12 March 2010
Snow and glacier melt runoff modelling in the Indus Basin
Islamabad, Pakistan
Contact: Dr Arun Bhakta Shrestha

12 March 2010
Sharing of knowledge on Imja glacial lake field investigation
Namche Bazaar, Solukhumbu, Nepal
Contact: Pradeep Mool

23–30 March 2010
Regional training on biodiversity management and climate change
Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact: Dr Nakul Chettri

15 March–6 April 2010
Low-cost soil and water conservation techniques and watershed management activities
Kathmandu, Nepal
Contact: Keshar Man Sthapit
For more information: http://www.icimod.org/?page=639

• Climate Change Impacts and Vulnerability in the Eastern Himalayas (2009)
• Asia Pacific Mountain Courier: Vol. 1 No. 2, Winter 2010

• Managing Flash Flood Risk in the Himalayas (2010)