A two-day consultative workshop was held 4 February in Kathmandu to understand the con-nection between water flow and ecology in the Koshi River Basin and beyond. Supported by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s (ICIMOD) Koshi Basin Pro-gramme and the Australian Government the workshop brought together representatives from ICIMOD, CSIRO Australia, and Bird Conservation Nepal. The workshop focused on the relationship between the movements of freshwater through the river system to wetlands and the ecosystem the water supports.

Sixteen Nepalese specialists in ornithology, herpetofauna, biodiversity, plants and taxono-my, fisheries, and water and environment governance participated in the workshop. Ten technical papers focusing on various aspects of ecology and its relation to river flow were presented.

The workshop and resulting report will be a step forward in increasing knowledge on river flow and ecosystem connections. This knowledge can help scientists assess how future flow changes in the Koshi Basin and how it might impact different ecological components –such as fish, birds, and forests – of the ecosystem. A key way to understand this relationship is through the development of conceptual models that can consolidate current research.The workshop laid out a tentative action plan for a publication meant for wider audiences based on the technical papers presented during the workshop.

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