Why are mountains still missing from global biodiversity discussions? Mountains cover nearly a quarter of the Earth’s land area and contain almost half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots. They provide water, food, energy and climate regulation for billions of people.

The air people breathe locally is shaped regionally. Across the Indo-Gangetic Plain and Himalayan Foothills (IGP-HF), air pollution stems from a shared mix of local emissions, regional weather, transport, energy use, industry, agriculture, and seasonal burning.

To build knowledge and capacity across the region, ICIMOD is developing a series of e-learning courses. We are inviting qualified consultancy firms to support the digitisation of this content on a retainer basis. Proposals are due by 16 August 2026, 11:59 pm Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45).

A forest burned for 100 days. 17 years later, Nepal is trying something it has never done before. In 2009, Gatlang was struck by one of the largest recorded forest fire episodes in

Deadline Extended: Mountain communities are having to adapt in real time due to melting glaciers and shifting water systems. Come together to build stronger science and policy for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH).

Most people think disasters being with drought, floods, or heatwaves. They don’t. They begin with the warnings we fail to act on. Read more here: thehimalayantimes.com/opinion/prep... #ElNino #MonsoonOutlook2026 #SG1 #DRR

🎓ICIMOD-recommended candidates awarded the 2026 CAS-ANSO Scholarship Candidates nominated by ICIMOD, an Alliance of International Science Organizations for the Belt and Road Regions (ANSO) member, have been selected for the 2026 CAS-ANSO Scholarship.

Water connects glaciers, rivers plains, deltas and oceans. However, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and disasters are placing growing pressure on these interconnected systems.

HE Sarah Storey, First Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia Division, DFAT; H.E. Simon Ernst, Australian Ambassador to Nepal; and Dylan Jones-Virma, Head of Development, Australian Embassy Kathmandu, visited ICIMOD’s Living Mountain Lab in Godavari.

Mountain biodiversity is central to achieving the global biodiversity targets, yet it remains underrepresented in global discussions.

A water crisis is a public health crisis. Climate change is reshaping water security, making climate-resilient and inclusive water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems more important than ever.

Communities across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) face compounding hazards, from glacial lake outburst floods to landslides and flash floods. ICIMOD's work on multi-hazard risk assessment (MHRA) and multi-hazard early warning systems (MHEWS) supports preparedness across our regional member countries.

Call for papers Climate and weather hazards rarely occur in isolation. Their compounding and cascading impacts are reshaping risk landscapes and exposing gaps in how societies forecast, communicate, and prepare.

We are currently hiring for the following roles at ICIMOD. Air Pollution Mitigation Analyst Communications Officer - HICAS Senior HR Associate Apply here: icimod.workable.com

MYTH: A weaker monsoon means lower flood risk. REALITY: Not in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. This year's monsoon is expected to bring below-normal rainfall across much of the region, but that doesn't rule out devastating flash floods.

To build knowledge and capacity across the region, ICIMOD is developing a series of e-learning courses. We are inviting qualified consultancy firms to support the digitisation of this content on a retainer basis. Proposals are due by 16 August 2026, 11:59 pm Nepal Standard Time (UTC+05:45).

Mountain Research and Development Vol 46, No 2 available online and open access!

Mountain Research and Development@mrdjournal.bsky.social · 4w ago

A new issue is complete! Read about links between rural outmigration and land use change in Argentina, participatory digital mapping and local learning in Nepal, a tool to support land use decisions in Ethiopia, adaptive strategies of small ski areas in Japan, and more. bioone.org/toc/mred/46/2

📢 Call for Expressions of Interest ICIMOD invites EOI from eligible Women’s Rights Organisations (WROs), Indigenous Peoples’ organisations, networks and non-profit organisations to collaborate under the HI-CAS project in Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal, funded by the Government of Canada.

ICIMOD's Living Mountain Lab in Godavari, Nepal, a living classroom for sustainable mountain technologies, has opened its new training booking platform.

Across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, longer dry spells are colliding with sudden bursts of extreme rain, raising the risk of flash floods, landslides and glacier-related hazards. The most dangerous assumption this season may be that fewer rainy days mean fewer emergencies. Press release: buff.ly/BjQVxgT

Mountain communities are having to adapt in real time due to melting glacier and shifting water systems. Come together to build stronger science and policy for the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). #Cryosphere #MountainScience #HKH #ClimateandEnvironment

Call for papers Climate and weather hazards rarely occur in isolation. Their compounding and cascading impacts are reshaping risk landscapes and exposing gaps in how societies forecast, communicate, and prepare.

This is not just a story about climate change. It’s about a place where faith, land, and memory are the same thing.

Ms. Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, Executive Secretary of UNESCAP, and Dr. Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, met on the sidelines of the 9th Ministerial Conference on Environment and Development (CED9) on 2 July 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.

“Future of sustainable development in the Asia-Pacific region is inseparable from the future of our mountains."

Bhutan continues to turn its rich biodiversity into opportunity, with 11 nature-based products launched to support green growth and local livelihoods. Learn more: kuenselonline.com/news/eleven-... #Enterprises #NaturebasedSolutions #HIREAP #SG2

The World Meteorological Organisation’s latest State of Climate in Asia 2025 report paints a region under stress from faster warming, extreme rainfall and glacial melt disrupting Asia’s economic and social well-being. #MonsoonOutlook2026 #ClimateChange #EarlyWarning #SG1 #DRR

Asar 15 used to mean one thing, the monsoon had arrived. Now, farmers wait, adjust, and hope. This is the new story of paddy in Nepal, where joy remains, but certainty is gone. Read more: nepalitimes.com/when-the-mon... #ClimateAdaptation #PaddyDay #SG2 #HICAS #Springs

Cleaner transport generally means electric vehicles. However, much of South Asia, including Nepal’s trucks, buses and, commercial vehicles run on diesel. Replacing thousands of trucks and buses overnight isn't realistic, but reducing what they emit – right now – is possible.

Migration is often framed as a failure. ICIMOD experts say it’s part of the solution. #Migration #SG2 #Foresight #livelihood #migrationsolution