ICIMOD

🎓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. ICIMOD colleagues Arti Govinda Shrestha and Ramesh Kathariya will pursue PhDs in Physical Geography at the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and in Ecology at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, respectively. The ANSO promotes international scientific cooperation and capacity development. The CAS-ANSO Scholarship supports postgraduate education and research training at institutions of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS). Wishing them to make meaningful contributions to regional environmental protection, sustainable mountain development, and international scientific cooperation. #CASANSOScholarship #ANSO #CAS #ICIMOD #China #ScienceForFutures

Water connects glaciers, rivers plains, deltas and oceans. However, climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, and disasters are placing growing pressure on these interconnected systems. As Japan commemorates the 50th anniversary of Water Day (28 July) and prepares for the Japan Water Week (1–7 August) ICIMOD will bring the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) perspective to this global discussion on the future of water. ICIMOD delegation, consisting of Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD Director General, and Rajesh Bahadur Thapa, Glaciers-to-Ocean (G2O) project lead, will contribute to key discussions on UN 2026 Water Conference themes, including Water for Planet: climate, biodiversity, desertification, and disaster risk reduction. For the HKH, where water sustains ecosystems, economies, and the wellbeing of more than 2 billion people downstream, the message is clear: water challenges are connected and so must be the solutions. The Glacier to Ocean project is jointly implemented by ICIMOD and OPRI-SPF, combining scientific expertise and regional partnerships to address critical climate risks through integrated assessments and policy-relevant research. More about G2O project: https://lnkd.in/gc87supx #ThinkingFutureofWater #JapanWaterDay #HKH #ClimateResilience #GlacierToOcean #ICIMOD

HE Sarah Storey, First Assistant Secretary, South and Central Asia Division, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (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. Australia has been a valued partner of ICIMOD since 2008, supporting efforts to strengthen climate resilience, water security, sustainable livelihoods, and inclusive development across the Hindu Kush Himalaya. Over the years, this partnership has evolved from broad support for ICIMOD’s regional programmes to targeted investments in climate-resilient development in Nepal through the ongoing “Building capabilities for green, climate-resilient and inclusive development” (HI-GRID) project. As HI-GRID continues to build local capacity, strengthen institutions, and improve water resilience for vulnerable communities, we are excited to look ahead to “Fostering Locally Owned Water Resilience" (HI-FLOW) the next phase of this collaboration. HI-FLOW will scale successful approaches, deepen local ownership, and expand impact in Nepal, helping communities adapt to a changing climate and manage water-related risks more effectively. We look forward to deepening this enduring partnership with the people and Government of Australia in service of a more resilient Hindu Kush Himalaya. #Partnership #HIGRID #HKH

Mountain biodiversity is central to achieving the global biodiversity targets, yet it remains underrepresented in global discussions. From 27 July - 1 August 2026, ICIMOD and its Regional Member Countries will work to advance mountain biodiversity priorities at the 28th meeting of the Subsidiary Body on Scientific, Technical and Technological Advice (SBSTTA-28) in Nairobi, Kenya. As a principal scientific advisory body to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD), SBSTTA-28 provides critical platform to strengthen the programme of work in conserving mountain ecosystems. Together with its regional member countries, ICIMOD will elevate mountain biodiversity through the: 🔹the review of Global Biodiversity Framework implementation 🔹the monitoring framework 🔹IPBES and science-policy integration 🔹the programme of work on Protected areas and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures 🔹the efforts to revive the CBD Programme of Work on Mountain Biological Diversity Meet our delegation during the mountain biodiversity related sessions and learn more about our engagement at SBSTTA28: https://lnkd.in/gV9WHjVr #SBSTTA28 #Biodiversity #GlobalAdvocacy

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. ICIMOD's Roshni Gurung, Research Assistant, River Basins Intervention, sat down with Nepal LookTV for an episode of Talk of the Town to discuss how climate change is affecting water security and why integrated, climate-informed planning is essential for building resilient WASH systems. 🎥 Watch the full interview (in Nepali): https://lnkd.in/gt_kQfEa #WASH #watersecurity #RiverBasins #SG1

Mountains are changing fast, and science can guide us toward what lies ahead. In May 2026, ICIMOD and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) launched a new joint project in Nepal, focused on sustainable mountain social-ecological systems. The inception meeting brought together technical experts and representatives from the NSFC-funded project team from Tianjin University, Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences (ITP-CAS), the Chinese Committee on the ICIMOD (CNICIMOD), the Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences (IMHE-CAS) and ICIMOD. The event opened with remarks from Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD, and Li Wencong, Deputy Director General, NSFC’s Bureau of International Cooperation, who reaffirmed a shared commitment to mountain science. Key insights were delivered by CAS Academician Liu Congqiang, Chair of NSFC’s Sustainable Development Programme and Li Xin, Deputy DG of ITP-CAS and Principal Investigator, highlighting the role of dynamic modelling and coupled regulation in driving sustainable mountain development. ICIMOD is represented by Sarala Khaling, Sunita Chaudhary, and Zhang Qianggong, who bring expertise in sustainable mountain development, regional cooperation, and knowledge generation to support more resilient mountain futures. #ICIMOD #NSFC #MountainScience #SustainableDevelopment #ScienceForMountains #ClimateResilience #ScientificCooperation

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. We are inviting proposals for trekking and expedition support services for an MHRA and MHEWS learning exchange field visit in the Haa River Basin, Bhutan, from 3 to 13 August 2026. Deadline: 23 July 2026. For more information: https://lnkd.in/gCMKQE5G #RFP #Consultancy #ICIMOD #Trekking #Expedition

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. A new Call for Papers for the nature partner journal Natural Hazards special collection ‘Weather and Climate-Induced Multi-Hazard Futures: Forecast, Communication, and Preparedness for Society’ invites interdisciplinary research that advances people-centred, inclusive early warning systems, preparedness, and risk-informed decision-making. The focus is on the social dimensions of compounding and cascading weather- and climate-related hazards in an interconnected multi-hazard world, exploring actionable science that links interacting extremes and risk management to societal outcomes, particularly for vulnerable regions and communities. This Collection is a joint effort by npj Natural Hazards Nature Portfolio; the Societal and Economic Research Applications (SERA) Working Group of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) World Weather Research Programme (WWRP); the WWRP Progressing Early Warnings for All (EW4All) Oriented to Partnerships and Local Engagement (PEOPLE) project; the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) Regional Information for Society (RIfS) core project; the UNESCO- and WMO WWRP- endorsed Seamless Prediction and Services for Promoting Environmental and Societal Sustainability (SEPRESS) programme led by the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology; and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). Submission deadline: 30 September 2026. For more information: https://lnkd.in/eTnhYwBM Queries may be addressed to Rongkun Liu - Guest Editor of this special collection - at Rongkun.Liu@icimod.org #WCRP #WWRP #MultiHazards #ClimateRisk #EarlyWarning #SG1 #DRR

We are currently hiring for the following roles at ICIMOD. Air Pollution Mitigation Analyst Communications Officer - HICAS Senior HR Associate Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gv6G4cNU

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. Long dry spells can be interrupted by intense, localised rainfall, while rising temperatures increase glacier melt and amplify flood risks. The biggest mistake this season is assuming fewer rainy days mean fewer disasters. Read the press release: https://lnkd.in/g5SspHgA Download HKH Monsoon Outlook 2026 (DOI 10.53055/ICIMOD.1132) https://lnkd.in/dxje2fuS #Monsoon #DRR #MonsoonOutlook