Events

Healthy Mountains, Healthy Planet: A Hindu Kush Himalayan Partnership for Sustainable Mountain Development

From: 24.05.2016 to: 24.05.2016

The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region is a global asset that provides ecosystem goods and services to one-fifth of the world’s population, whose livelihoods are increasingly affected by rapid changes in the environment, climatic and social systems. Our ability to understand and manage these changes is important, and these understandings must be translated into sound policies and programmes that alleviate poverty, reduce physical and social vulnerabilities and improve ecosystem services.

The International Centre for Integrate Mountain Development (ICIMOD), an intergovernmental organization with eight member countries of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan, is actively working towards sustainable and resilient mountain development by fostering regional cooperation.

Given this urgent situation, ICIMOD together with all eight environment ministries in the HKH region proposes this side event during the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Environment Assembly. The primary goal is to forge a strong and action-oriented Hindu Kush Himalayan Partnership for Sustainable Mountain Development. Additionally, the event is aimed at addressing climate change with particular focus on low carbon development, raising awareness of the importance of mountain environments for sustainable development around the world and jointly promoting the mountain agenda. The event will be held in the format of a high-level panel discussion.

Key Objectives 

• Launch a Hindu Kush Himalayan Partnership for Sustainable Mountain Development of eight regional governments with special respect to the SDG 2030 targets
• Develop a regional strategy engaging the Green Climate Fund to support adaptation actions for fragile mountain ecosystems
• Promote the Mountain Agenda and develop key messages for global and regional processes, such as the UNFCCC
• Lay the ground work for a regional communications and outreach strategy that will raise the profile of mountain regions and the need for adaptation action in a post-Paris context

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