International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD, is a regional intergovernmental knowledge development and learning centre serving the eight regional member countries of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan – and based in Kathmandu, Nepal. Globalisation and climate change have an increasing influence on the stability of fragile mountain ecosystems and the livelihoods of mountain people.

ICIMOD aims to assist mountain people to understand these changes, adapt to them, and make the most of new opportunities, while addressing upstream-downstream issues. We support regional transboundary programmes through partnership with regional partner institutions, facilitate the exchange of experience, and serve as a regional knowledge hub. We strengthen networking among regional and global centres of excellence.

Overall, we are working to develop an economically and environmentally sound mountain ecosystem to improve the living standards of mountain populations and to sustain vital ecosystem services for the billions of people living downstream now, and for the future.

ICIMOD's Regional Database System provides a one-stop data portal for the Hindu Kush Himalaya: http://rds.icimod.org/Home/Index

ICIMOD’s central document repository and online digital library, HimalDoc is a one-stop portal for publications, journal articles, reports, theses, photos, multimedia and other information resources related to the Hindu Kush Himalaya: https://lib.icimod.org/

 

Content

ales-krivec-n-atikx-b00-unsplash low res 0 - climate adaptation.

Adaptation in Mountains

Mountains are highly vulnerable to climate change. They also provide numerous essential services. This theme explores how mountains and mountain communities can be made more resilient.

Read more
548ee59a8129eunnamed 2 - climate adaptation.

Adaptation Without Borders

Climate change – and adaptation to it – will occur in a globalized, hyper-connected world. 

Read more

Members

Pages

Protecting the 'water tower' of Asia: The future of the Hindu Kush Himalaya in white with photo of mountains

Protecting the ‘Water Tower’ of Asia: The Future of the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Watch this short video to learn about the challenges of climate change in the Himalayan mountains as well as examples of adaptation actions. The focus is on integrating all sectors into a comprehensive climate adaptation plan, and to optimize the water-energy nexus to “green the vertical deserts”. 

Read more
A collapsed house in a river with trees in the background

Enhancing cooperation to address cascading climate risks in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Learn about the rationale for strengthening regional resilience to cascading climate risks in the HKH through this AWB discussion brief. It explores what a regional cooperation mechanism could consider and advance in policy and practice, proposing a set of potential areas for collaboration to move the discussions from the realm of ambition to action.

Read more
A grey and dark blue globe with green icons connected with lines

The Global Transboundary Climate Risk Report

Discover new evidence on ten transboundary climate risks of global importance that affect critical sectors and regions: from water resources in high mountain environments, to fish stocks in the open ocean, industrial supply chains, and energy and global finance systems, as well as human health, livelihoods, mobility patterns, and physical and mental well-being.

Read more
Blue sky with green mountains covered in colourful looking houses

Human populations in the world’s mountains: Spatio-temporal patterns and potential controls

Delve into the data and trends of human populations in mountainous regions, and explore the associations between mountain populations and different environmental covariates. Findings may inform predictions of future mountain population distributions under scenarios of future climatic change.

Read more
4 people speaking at a COP27 panel event

COP27 - Cascading impacts: how can we adapt and reduce risk in the mountains and downstream?

Watch and learn about this COP27 side event which focused on the impacts and risks from upstream-downstream hazards in mountains, which have cascading and compounding detrimental effects on both local and downstream ecosystems and billions of people worldwide.

Read more
People working in an agricultural mountain environment

Resilient Mountain Solutions in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Learn about why a focus on resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region is important, and explore the different components of ICIMOD's Resilient Mountain Solutions programme. 

Read more

Pages