IV Mountain Futures Conference

Organizers: Kunming Institute of Botany, CAS; UNEP-IEMP, FAO, ICIMOD, CIFOR-ICRAF, BIAHVM-CAS, SNCC

CONFERENCE DETAILS

Background

The IV Mountain Futures Conference will be held in Kunming, China from 25-27 September 2025. As a founding organizer since the inaugural 2016 conference, ICIMOD will also co-organize this fourth edition, which focuses on the theme ‘Inclusive Bioeconomy: Mountain-Based Approaches for Nature Positive and Climate Resilience’, building on our shared commitment to sustainable mountain futures under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.

The conference will bring together a diverse range of international partners, including UNEP’s International Ecosystem Management Partnership, FAO’s Mountain Partnership, and the World Agroforestry Centre, to foster collaboration on nature-positive development pathways.

Ahead of the main conference, ICIMOD will lead a two-day exposure visit from 23–24 September (optional for participants with limited time), providing participants with direct insights into mountain innovations in practice. From 25–27 September, ICIMOD will co-host the main conference and organize a regional workshop as part of the event’s parallel sessions.

As a regional knowledge and innovation hub, ICIMOD will play a key role in shaping the conference agenda, contributing expertise in climate resilience, biodiversity conservation, and mountain-specific solutions. ICIMOD will highlight successful approaches in areas such as Indigenous knowledge systems, ecological restoration, green trade, and sustainable productivity across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region.

Objectives

ICIMOD’s participation aims to:

• Promote regional collaboration: Facilitate knowledge exchange on bioeconomy, climate resilience, NbS, and sustainable livelihoods.

• Showcase HKH innovations: Present ICIMOD-led initiatives through technical demonstrations.

• Engage partners: Identify potential collaborators (research institutions, innovation centres, governments, NGOs) for future projects.

• Influence policy: Share evidence-based recommendations for mountain adaptation strategies.

Expected outcomes

• Initiate HKH network for biotechnology and bioeconomy.

• 3–5 new partnerships with RMC institutions/technical centres.

• 2–3 joint proposals initiated for mountain technology scaling.

• Policy recommendations integrated into HKH regional strategies.

The 4th Mountain Futures International Conference