Context
The extended Himalaya region is one of the world’s most important ecosystems and is the direct source of livelihood for more than 210 million people. The region contains the sources of major river systems that supply water to about one fifth of the global population. The ecosystems play an important role in biodiversity and the function of the Himalayas as a water reservoir. Particularly in the higher regions, climate change and steadily increasing exploitation pressures are contributing to a deterioration in the condition of the sensitive mountain ecosystems.
These challenges can only be overcome by intergovernmental cooperation. In 1983, the eight nations of the extended Himalaya region – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan – founded the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) as a platform for regional cooperation. Germany has been supporting the Centre since 1986. In recent years, ICIMOD has made marked progress with the task of fulfilling its regional mandate. Through knowledge sharing and expert dialogues, it has brought the Himalayan nations and their national expert organisations together to implement joint regional programmes, for example the Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative.
Objective
The population’s social situation is improved, as is the condition of the ecosystems in the Kailash region and two other transboundary landscape regions.
Approach
The programme focuses on the use of selected approaches to the management and conservation of ecosystems in the Kailash region and two other regions.
Results achieved so far
Initial approaches have been devised for implementing sustainable ecosystem management and nature conservation in regional transboundary landscape projects.
Dialogue forums and workshops enable the national partners to exchange information and learn from each other with a view to joint planning and steering of regional projects in the future. At present, the differences in the national partners’ capacities still present ICIMOD with a special challenge for successful project implementation.
Experience gained from the programme in the Kailash region will be evaluated and adapted for use in new projects.