Back to news
23 Jul 2025 | Press releases

International Solar Alliance and ICIMOD join hands to accelerate solar energy deployment in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Colombo, Sri Lanka – 17 July 2025

1 min Read

70% Complete
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between ICIMOD and ISA by Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, and Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA. Avishek Malla, Energy Specialist, represented Pema Gyamtsho at the event.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in scaling up solar energy solutions across the common member countries.

The MoU formalises a strategic partnership aimed at promoting decentralised solar technologies, improving energy access in remote mountain communities, and supporting climate-resilient development in the common member countries. Through this collaboration, ISA – a treaty-based global intergovernmental organisation dedicated to advancing solar power adoption for a carbon-neutral future – and ICIMOD will work together to identify scalable solar interventions across sectors, co-develop proposals, projects and programmes, strengthen technical capacity and technology transfer, and facilitate knowledge sharing and advocacy among common member countries.

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, stated, “This partnership with ISA marks a significant step toward bringing clean, reliable, and context-specific solar solutions to the mountains. It reinforces our shared commitment to sustainable energy transitions and climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.”

Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA, emphasised, “Our MoU with ICIMOD, signed at ISA’s 7th Regional Committee Meeting in Colombo, supports our strategy to move from Ambition to Action through Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) initiatives across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, beginning with the ISA Country Partnership Strategy for Bhutan as a pioneering model for mountain-focused renewable energy transitions, as part of our broader engagement.”

The partnership aligns with both organisations’ vision to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy, contribute to national climate goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promote regional cooperation for a greener, more equitable future.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Neraz Tuladhar (Raz), Media Officer
Email: media@icimod.org

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
6 Dec 2017 Press releases
MOPE, EU, and ICIMOD host international conference on resilient HKH

After four days of invigorating discussion on resilience issues in the Hindu Kush Himalaya, Nepal’s Ministry of Population and the ...

7 Jul 2026 Press releases
Erratic monsoon and rising temperatures heighten flash flood risk across the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Kathmandu, 7 July 2026 — A below-normal monsoon does not mean a safer monsoon. As deadly floods and cloudburst-triggered disasters continue ...

5 Jun 2025 Press releases
ICIMOD appointed technical partner to major ADB initiative to reduce disaster risk in mountains

5 June 2025 Kathmandu The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has appointed ICIMOD to act as one of three technical implementing partners ...

18 Mar 2026 Press releases
Hindu Kush Himalaya glaciers losing ice at double the rate since 2000, new ICIMOD report confirm

Kathmandu, 18 March 2026 - Glaciers across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are melting at an accelerating rate, with ice ...

3 Dec 2025 Press releases
New Regional Hub launched to strengthen climate action and reporting across the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Highlights: UN Climate Change and ICIMOD and its Regional Member Countries (RMCs) launched the Hindu ...

27 Dec 2015 Atmosphere Initiative
First ever air quality monitoring for Chitwan National Park

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in collaboration with the National Trust for Nature Conservation (NTNC) has established ...

11 Aug 2016 Press releases
Research on adaptation and climate change in the Gandaki basin shared with key stakeholders in Nepal

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="560"] From left to right: Gehendra Gurung (Practical Action), Madhukar ...

27 Mar 2016 Press releases
More power for women in water decisions needed

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="570"] Dr Tira Foran, CSIRO speaks at the opening of ...