More than 50 researchers from institutions around the world convened in Dhulikhel, Nepal, this week to make a major push forward in producing a comprehensive assessment of the Hindu-Kush-Himalaya (HKH). The assessment will be the major content product of the Hindu Kush Monitoring and Assessment Project (HIMAP).

The assessment, expected in print in 2018, aims to inform policymakers and stakeholders about the conditions and challenges facing the HKH, a region also referred to as the world’s “Third Pole,” for its mountains, water-rich terrain, and vivid biodiversity.

The focus of this week’s Writeshop included collaborative chapter editing sessions led by Nick Moschovakis from Communications Development Incorporated, a US-based firm that specializes in communications planning, information design, and content products.

Each team of chapter authors (ranging in size from 7 to as many as 20) were given feedback regarding the structure and content of their individual works. The exercise helped to solidify the vision of the content, as well as the overall mission of the assessment: to offer a comprehensive picture of the state of knowledge regarding this environmentally-significant region.

A key aspect of the assessment will be its pronounced linkages with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which were drafted and adopted in 2015 as means to “end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure that all people enjoy peace and prosperity.” Each chapter of the HKH assessment will include key messages that relate to current SDGs to underscore the holistic approach that the HKH assessment shares with other important international visions.

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