Back to news
14 Feb 2016 | News

The ‘Third Pole’: A Monitoring And Assessment Programme To Sustain The Hindu Kush Himalayan Region as a Global Asset

1 min Read

70% Complete

From 26-28 January 2016, the first writers’ workshop for the coordinating lead authors of the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme (HIMAP) took place in Kathmandu, Nepal. HIMAP is a comprehensive assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region that aims to assist in addressing threats, act on opportunities, and scale up cutting edge approaches.

HIMAP frames the challenge as follows: “Outside of the North and South Poles, the HKH region contains the largest area of permanent ice cover in the world, which is why it is sometimes referred to as the ‘Third Pole’ of the earth. Its terrain encompasses the source of 10 major river systems, 4 global biodiversity spots, 330 important bird areas, and hundreds of mountain peaks over 6,000masl. The region provides water, ecosystem services, food, energy, and livelihood to 210 million people directly. An additional 1.3 billion people living downstream benefit from its resources indirectly and more than 3 billion people rely on energy produced in the basin catchment area of the Himalayan river systems. The region is also home to some of the most diverse cultures, languages, religions, and traditional knowledge systems in the world. For these reasons, the HKH region is clearly a major global asset, critical to the planet as a whole.”

READ MORE

5 Aug 2016 News
SERVIR Workshop Helps Finalise M&E Framework

  A regional workshop on ‘SERVIR Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) impact pathway, partnership and communication strategy’ was held 11-15 July 2016 ...

Code of conduct being formalized for gender and social inclusion in the brick sector

A national consultation workshop on a social Code of Conduct (CoC) for Nepal’s brick sector was held in Kathmandu on ...

Accelerating change for sustainable water management in the HKH

As we join the global community in marking World Water Day with the theme ‘Accelerating Change’, we are yet again ...

A Commitment to Implement Water Use Master Plans in Saptari, Nepal

Participation of the private sector has opened up avenues for joint collaboration with local authorities for sustainable WUMP schemes and ...

Haa Summer Festival Showcases Local Culture for Tourism Promotion

Haa Valley is a pilot site of the Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (KLCDI) of the International Centre for ...

21 Sep 2018 REDD+
ICIMOD supports Myanmar in drafting REDD + Action Plan for Shan State

Myanmar has the largest remaining forest area in Southeast Asia, with 44% of its land classified as forest, but it ...

24 Jan 2019 HI-RISK
Regional water-related disaster experts discuss gaps in flood early warning communication and potential solutions

In his welcome remarks, Basanta Shrestha, Director of Strategic Cooperation at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), emphasized ...