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HINDU KUSH HIMALAYA · SBSTTA-28

Hindu Kush Himalaya
at the SBSTTA 28

ICIMOD priorities for the Twenty-Eighth Meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice
27 July – 1 August 2026 · Nairobi, Kenya

Sunita Chaudhary · Summary

Figure 1 · HKH biodiversity hotspots
Mountains of Central Asia · Himalaya · Indo-Burma · Mountains of South-west China

Mountains cover ~24% of land, contain nearly half of biodiversity hotspots.
The HKH spans 3,500 km, 4 global hotspots, provides freshwater to ~2 billion people.
Yet mountain ecosystems are increasingly threatened — and the KM-GBF does not explicitly monitor mountain biodiversity.

Agenda Item 3(a) · Global review of GBF implementation

Priority

Regional progress towards the GBF remains uneven across the HKH. India and China show strong progress; Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and Pakistan face significant implementation gaps.

Mountain ecosystems remain insufficiently reflected in current implementation and reporting.

Recommendations
  • Integrate mountain priorities, targets & indicators into NBSAPs.
  • Strengthen reporting on mountain ecosystems through national & subnational mechanisms.
  • Request CBD Secretariat to compile mountain-specific info from GMBA, HKH-RIS.
  • Focus on mountain ecosystems & strengthen technical support via CBD Technical Support Centres.
  • Mobilize financial resources for mountain biodiversity assessments.

Agenda Item 3(b) · Monitoring Framework

Priority

Current GBF indicators do not adequately capture the status and trends of mountain ecosystems. Without mountain-specific reporting, important changes in high-altitude biodiversity remain largely invisible.

Recommendations
  • Disaggregate headline GBF indicators for mountain ecosystems.
  • Develop complementary mountain-specific indicators where appropriate.
  • Strengthen mountain biodiversity monitoring using remote sensing, field observations & regional databases.
  • Support regional capacity building through Technical Support Centres & mountain monitoring networks.

Agenda Item 6 · Sustainable wildlife management

Priority

Mountain communities depend on wildlife for livelihoods, while many iconic mountain species remain highly threatened. Effective implementation of the Global Guidance on Sustainable Wildlife Management should explicitly consider mountain ecosystems.

Recommendations
  • Adopt and promote Global Guidance with explicit reference to mountain ecosystems.
  • Encourage development of indicators for mountain species and sustainable use.
  • Strengthen community-based and Indigenous Peoples-led wildlife management.
  • Support capacity building for wildlife managers in mountain landscapes.

Agenda Item 7 · Protected Areas & OECMs

Priority

Mountain protected areas require management approaches that maintain ecological integrity, altitudinal connectivity and transboundary cooperation. Revising the Programme of Work on Protected Areas provides an opportunity to strengthen these elements while contributing to GBF Target 3.

Recommendations
  • Promote ecological corridors along elevational gradients and transboundary mountain conservation landscapes.
  • Strengthen restoration of mountain buffer zones.
  • Recognize mountain OECMs, including community conserved areas and sacred landscapes.
  • Integrate ecological integrity and climate connectivity into protected area guidance.
  • Encourage implementation of mountain-specific protected area strategies.

Agenda Item 8 · Marine and coastal biodiversity

Priority

Mountain ecosystems are closely linked with downstream freshwater, coastal and marine ecosystems through river basins and sediment transport. Conserving mountain watersheds contributes directly to marine biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

Recommendations
  • Recognize mountain–marine linkages within relevant CBD decisions.
  • Promote integrated ridge-to-reef (mountain-to-coast) planning.
  • Strengthen transboundary river basin cooperation.
  • Encourage integrated watershed management within marine and coastal biodiversity planning.

ICIMOD support to Parties

In line with CBD Decision X/30, ICIMOD will support Parties by:

providing regional scientific assessments
supporting integration of mountain biodiversity into NBSAPs and national reporting
providing biodiversity data through GMBA, HiRIS and other regional information systems
developing mountain-relevant indicators and monitoring tools
strengthening regional capacity through CBD Technical Support Centres, training and technical exchanges
supporting transboundary conservation, mountain OECMs and regional biodiversity assessments
🏔️

SBSTTA-28 should recognize mountain ecosystems as a cross-cutting priority for implementation of the KM-GBF by:

  • integrating mountain biodiversity into national planning, implementation and reporting
  • strengthening mountain-specific monitoring and indicators
  • promoting sustainable wildlife management in mountain landscapes
  • strengthening mountain protected areas, OECMs and ecological connectivity
  • recognizing mountain-to-coast linkages in biodiversity conservation

📅
SBSTTA-28
27 July – 1 August 2026, Nairobi, Kenya
📄
CBD Decisions
VII/27 · X/30 · KM-GBF