1xbet

Back to news
17 Nov 2016 | News

ICIMOD Party to Beijing Declaration on the Belt and Road Initiative

2 mins Read

70% Complete

The First International Science Forum of National Scientific Organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative was held in Beijing, China from 7-8 November 2016. Organised by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in partnership with eleven other national academies and research organizations including ICIMOD, the forum brought together over 350 scientists, academics, and experts from 40 countries.

Speaking at the opening plenary of the forum, Dr Eklabya Sharma, Director Programme Operations at ICIMOD, described the Hindu Kush Himalaya as the heart of the Belt and Road Initiative, requiring special attention for sustainable development with a sufficient emphasis on environmental security.

The Belt and Road Initiative brings an excellent opportunity for regional collaboration among scientists to generate evidence that feed into regional and international policies and agreements, Sharma told the audience. He stressed that mountains are the lifelines in the Belt and Road Initiative; regional cooperation for understanding the impact of change, especially climate change, would be essential.

A panel discussion on the role of Science and Technology innovation for shared development along “Belt and Road” route and future cooperation (photo: Chinese Academy of Sciences)

The Forum delegates, representing 20 national scientific and research organizations, issued the Beijing Declaration for the establishment of improved bilateral and multi-lateral cooperation mechanisms.

In his speech to release the Beijing Declaration, Professor Bai Chunli, President of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, called for scientific collaborations among institutions and individuals of the 20 countries that fall within the Belt and Road Initiative region.

The Belt and Road Initiative – also referred to as the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road – was proposed by President XI Jinping in 2013. The belt refers to the land-based belt from China via Central Asia and Russia to Europe, and a maritime route through the Strait of Malacca to India, the Middle East and East Africa. The Belt and Road Initiative is led by the Chinese government, encouraging win-win cooperation to promote common development and prosperity.

Forum participants at the session on Capacity-building, personnel training and basic research led by the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Photo: University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences)

Dr Eklabya Sharma, ICIMOD Director of Programme Operations, speaks at the first international science forum of national scientific organizations on the Belt and Road Initiative in Beijing on 7 November 2016.
Courtesy: Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS)

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

Relative content

Continue exploring this topic

22 Jul 2019 Water
Fourth regional hands-on training on community-based flood early warning systems

Floods and flash floods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya cause considerable loss of lives and property, particularly during the monsoon. ...

25 May 2016 News
Developing Nepal’s Hydropower Potential

Significant contributions in drafting and presenting ‘Hydropower Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines (HP-EIA) of Nepal’ to the Government of Nepal (GoN) ...

28 Jan 2016 KSL
China, India, and Nepal Keen on Creating a Trans-boundary UNESCO World Heritage Site in the Kailash Sacred Landscape

There is interest in creating a transboundary.United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage Site (UNESCO WHS). in the ...

9 Sep 2016 HICAP
Outscaling community-based flood early warning systems in Assam

Every year, monsoon precipitation results in floods of various magnitudes inundating large areas of the Ganges, Brahmaputra, and Indus basins ...

27 Jan 2020 KSL
Prakriti Ahwaan 2019 brings local communities together to conserve biodiversity in the transboundary Kailash Landscape

Nature recognizes no political boundaries. The Mahakali River forms a part of the boundary between India and Nepal and areas ...

River basin approach demands coordination among multidisciplinary agencies: interview with Prem Paudel, Chief of the Planning Section, DSCWM

Prem Paudel is Chief of the Planning Section, Department of Soil Conservation and Watershed Management, Ministry of ...

16 Apr 2015 News
Kiwi orchard established in Bhutan

Bhutan’s Agriculture and Forests Minister Lyonpo Yeshey Dorji inaugurated a kiwi fruit orchard (demonstration farm) in Wangkha on 15 March ...