This site uses cookies, as explained in our terms of use. If you consent, please close this message and continue to use this site.
At ICIMOD we recognise the exceptional nature of mountains: the rich diversity of people, rich resources, the natural beauty, and the importance of the Hindu Kush Himalayas to Asia. We also know that mountain areas have exceptional challenges: vulnerability to climate change, disasters, outmigration, environmental degradation, and persistent poverty to name a few. And we know that while mountains are a source of inspiration and traditional knowledge, they are often outside the sphere of academic systems. We have not yet been able to build sufficient knowledge and critical mass of skilled people to address mountain challenges.
David James Molden
2 mins Read
Present education systems don’t necessarily address the exceptional nature of mountains. Mountains are different – people live in isolated and fragile environments, people need different strategies for their livelihoods, and traditional systems are changing as mountain people struggle to cope with globalisation. These mountain specificities are not necessarily dealt with in curricula that are necessary to educate and bring about positive changes.
Mountains have historically been meeting places, between traders, cultures, and between countries. Simply stated – mountains connect. The Hindu Kush Himalayan connects Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Those connections will help us tackle global and regional challenges before us. Not only do we have to face mountain challenges, but more importantly we have to recognise the full potential that mountains offer.
Mountains have historically been meeting places, between traders, cultures, and between countries. Simply stated – mountains connect. The Hindu Kush Himalayan connects Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. Those connections will help us tackle global and regional challenges before us. Not only do we have to face mountain challenges, but more importantly we have to recognise the full potential that mountains offer. The Himalayan University Consortium provides us a means to bring our best minds to bear on mountains, generate mountain knowledge and put it to use for a shared common goal of sustainable futures. HUC aims to provide opportunity to inspire, enable, and empower youth to address their future. The Himalayan University Consortium will:
Let us envision that in five years we will have 500 HUC world-class scholar-leaders, who have worked in different HKH countries, who have deep knowledge and skills on mountain topics, who have made connections across countries, and who will be leaders in their own countries and communities. In doing so, we will have built an important pool of resources positioned to dream and deliver a more sustainable future.
ICIMOD is proud to facilitate and incubate HUC as it grows. It’s exciting to see the potential of such a consortium as HUC is gaining momentum with over 40 universities as members. While we recognise that turning the idea to reality takes time, we see that the reality of HUC is happening now.
Share
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.
Related content
由气候驱动的风暴、洪水、热浪和干旱的经济代价首次被计算出来,即在过去20年中,人类付出的代价已达到1600万美元/小时。其中,三分之二的费用是由于生命损失,剩下的则是因为财产和其他资产损失。 而这不仅是兴都库什-喜马拉雅的统计数据。今年,在我们整个地区,气候灾害给许多家庭来了难以承受的损失:数百人丧生,更多的房屋、农作物和财产在毁灭性的洪水和山体滑坡中被毁。最近,上周锡金蒂斯塔河(Teesta river)爆发冰川湖溃决洪水,这清楚地提醒了人类,大自然的愤怒是无止境的。 今年的国际减灾日与我们区域内的家庭、科学家和政策制定者共同评估了季风和全球升温给人类和经济带来的沉重代价,恰逢其时。 展望未来,气候驱动的灾难将激增。联合国减少灾害风险办公室(UNDRR)预计,到2030年,我们每年将看到560起灾难,使3760万人陷入极端贫困。 科学表明,我们处在风险热点地区。不仅与极端降雨和冰冻圈变化相关,还有热浪、干旱和空气污染。因此,在计算这次季风事件的成本时,我们所有为该地区及其居民服务的人都有责任以更高的速度和更强的雄心,将科学、政策和行动联系起来,实现让所有人都能得到早期预警的目标。 我们急需捐助者深入了解该地区居民所面临的风险,无论是从危险量级和程度来看,还是从受影响的人口规模来看。我们迫切需要适应基金、绿色气候基金和儿童投资融资基金更快地分配到该地区,以及加强补偿机制的运作。 在ICIMOD,我们将在全球范围内倡导双方,还将在整个地区努力建立一种围绕防灾和数据共享文化;对政策制定者进行差异和关键行动领域的教育;为社区配备创新及可行的技术,并扩大以社区为基础的洪水预警系统。 我们所在地区的情况表明,全球范围内面临的灾害存在着巨大的不平等。我们的研究发现,当危机来临时,妇女和弱势群体受到的影响尤为严重。 为了消除这种不平等,我们郑重承诺通过整合工具、知识和资金,确保该地区居民能够有效抵御未来的冲击,并将妇女和弱势群体纳入我们战略的核心。对于兴都库什-喜马拉雅的国家而言,全民早期预警尚需更及时的实现。 白马·嘉措 总干事
今年是《生物多样性公约》生效第25周年。今年“国际生物多样性 日”庆祝的主题是“生物多样性保护:行动的 25 年”。 在过去的 25 年中,兴都库什喜马拉雅地区各个国家的山区生物多样性保护工作一直受益于 《生物多样性公约》等全球环境治理机制。尽管实现《生物多样性公约》的国家和全球目标仍是 巨大的挑战,对我们来说今年的“国际生物多样性日”是一个承前启后、继往开来的时刻。 兴都库什喜马拉雅地区是 2.4 亿人口的家园,并为占世界四分之一人口的 19 亿人提供水资 源。位于该地区的喜马拉雅、印缅、中国西南山区以及中亚山区历来就是紧密联系的跨境生物多 样性热点地区。这些热点地区为 30 亿人口的生计提供支持并保障他们的粮食安全,而这 30 亿人 口中包含了部分世界上最贫困及弱势的人群。 尊重兴都库什喜马拉雅地区生命的多样性及着眼于人民的福祉一直以来作为核心理念主导着 国际山地综合发展中心的工作,中心跨境景观保护与发展项目的各项行动就是最好的证明。通过 ...
Good afternoon, ladies and ...
The South Asian monsoon is critical for the Hindu Kush Himalaya. It provides much needed water for our rainfed farming ...
As the tenure of Director General of ICIMOD shifts from one set of hands to another, we have written this ...
The declaration focused on the right to safe drinking water, which Pope Francis insists should be treated as a basic ...
Later, ICIMOD in collaboration with other experts undertook several studies including field surveys, airborne observations, and remote sensing mapping to ...
Institutional Positioning Mountain Focus: First and foremost, ICIMOD is for mountains and people, covering the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). Mountain ecosystems ...