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
20 May 2022 Press releases
Effects of melting glaciers on food production in South Asia

Millions of farmers in South Asia depend on meltwater from the Himalayas. Melting glaciers, rainwater and groundwater allow farmers downstream ...

21 Jul 2015 Press releases
ICIMOD awarded humanitarian GIS award

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) has been awarded a ‘Humanitarian GIS Award’ at the 2015 International User ...

Strengthening climate services in South Asia

South Asia is highly vulnerable to weather and climate impact such as flooding, droughts and cyclones. In the past two ...

5 Jul 2024 Press releases
Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences and ICIMOD partner to advance mountain agriculture

Kathmandu, Nepal – 4 July 2024 China’s Yunnan Academy of Agricultural Sciences (YAAS), based in Kunming, today signed a long-term partnership ...

31 Oct 2014 Press releases
Government of Myanmar and regional knowledge centre collaborate to promote ecotourism and the conservation of protected areas

On Thursday, 30 October, in the presence of Union Minister U Htay Aung of the Ministry of Hotels ...

12 Dec 2018 Press releases
Koshi DRR knowledge hub to strengthen transboundary collaboration

At the launch of the 24th Conference of the Parties (COP) meeting, UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres called for greater ...