Back to news
6 Jan 2017 | News

ICIMOD Participates in International Mountain Day 2016 Celebrations in Pakistan

1 min Read

70% Complete
The Chief Minister and Provincial Minister presiding over the event
The Chief Minister and Provincial Minister presiding over the event

On 11 December, a special programme was held at the Gilgit Serena Hotel, Pakistan, to mark International Mountain Day 2016. The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) participated in the celebration alongside the Government of Gilgit-Baltistan, the World Wildlife Fund, the Aga Khan Rural Support Programme (AKRSP) and the Aga Khan Health Services Pakistan (AKHSP). Hashwani Group of Traders, Mountain and Market: Biodiversity and Business in Northern Pakistan, Wildlife Conservation Society, and Mountain Media Group also participated.

Hafiz Hafeez-ur-Rehman, Chief Minister, Gilgit-Baltistan, and Muhammad Iqbal, Minister Public Works Department, Government of Gilgit Baltistan, were chief guests of the event. Around 300 officials from the Pakistani government, and representatives from non-governmental organizations, educational institutions and local communities were present at the event. The celebratory activities included presentations, documentaries, exhibitions and a tableau arranged by organizing partners.

Participants of the International Mountain Day celebration
Experts from the Gilgit Baltistan Environmental Protection Agency (GB-EPA), WWF and AKRSP highlighted the high value functions and services mountain ecosystems provide to support human life. ICIMOD Pakistan staff shared Director General David Molden’s message with all present on his behalf, and extended gratitude to all participants and organizing partners who had worked to successfully organize the event.

During the panel discussion, several speakers noted that mountains are a refuge for diverse organisms, and key to conservation in a changing world. Panellists added that natural mountain landscapes are disappearing as a result of rapid socio-economic change endangering native flora and fauna. Possible adaptation choices to promote mountain biodiversity and its genetic resources for future generations were also discussed.

School students performing a cultural dance

Mountain ecosystems are spectacular also because of human culture. To highlight the cultural uniqueness of the Gilgit Baltistan region, students from Shining Light Academy, Gilgit, performed a cultural dance to a folk song. The Mountain Day celebration event also paid tribute to Hassan Sadpara, the late Pakistani mountaineer, by acknowledging his heroic contributions to promoting mountain cultures. The event concluded with a vote of thanks by Muhammad Ejaz, acting GM of the Gilgit Serena Hotel.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related Content

Continue exploring this topic

25 May 2015 News
Delegates visit community-based flood early warning prototype

A six-member delegation from UNICEF Nepal and Nepal Red Cross Society visited the prototype of Community-Based Flood Early Warning System (CB-FEWS) at ICIMOD Knowledge Park, ...

12 Feb 2015 News
Symposium on mountain forestry makes policy recommendations

In his inaugural address, Dr David Molden, Director General of ICIMOD, stressed the need for paradigm shift in managing Himalayan forests. ...

15 Mar 2016 KSL
Thematic Tourism Routes Foster Regional Collaboration and Prosperity

During the 23rd edition of the South Asia’s Tourism and Travel Show (SATTE) 2016 by the United Nations World Tourism Organizations ...

ICIMOD showcases its Regional Database System at the Open Data Expo

The expo also saw participation from open data initiatives/collectives – Clean Up Nepal, Open Knowledge Nepal, 

17 May 2016 News
ICIMOD’s Contribution to Implementation of the Prime Minister’s Directive to Accelerate Socioeconomic Development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts is Recognised

The Ministry of Chittagong Hill Tracts Affairs (MOCHTA) considers ICIMOD’s strategic framework for sustainable development in the Chittagong Hill Tracts (CHT) of ...

12 Oct 2015 News
Team visits climate smart Indian cardamom farms

  Wanting to know more about sustainable management practices of cardamom produc-tion, a team of six from the International Centre for ...

17 Mar 2016 News
ICIMOD at the Mountain Futures Conference – Nurturing seeds for Change in the Anthropocene

An ICIMOD delegation participated in the Mountain Futures Conference: Nurturing Seeds for Change in the Anthropocene, held in Kunming, China from ...

29 Jul 2015 News
A practical lesson for Bhutanese farmers

As part of support for Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation Programme (Himalica), a hands-on training on sustainable land management ...