Norway, ICIMOD launch wide-ranging climate, development programmes

Norway and International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) today signed a NOK 150 million ($25 million) agreement to support ICIMOD in resilient and sustainable mountain development for improved and equitable livelihoods through knowledge and regional cooperation.

The agreement was signed by ambassador of Norway to Nepal Kjell Tormod Pettersen and director general of ICIMOD Dr David Molden on behalf of their respective institutions.

The five-year (2013-2017) ‘knowledge for development’ programme covers the entire Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region in the eight member countries and focuses on adaptation to change, cryosphere and atmosphere, and trans-boundary cooperation.

ICIMOD is a regional intergovernmental learning and knowledge sharing centre serving the eight member countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. The Centre’s aim is to influence policy and practice to meet the emerging environmental and livelihood challenges in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. It also plays an important role in creating a platform for regional cooperation among the member countries.

The government of Norway supports ICIMOD’s regional programmes that shed new light on climate change, help mountain and downstream people adapt to changes, and build capacity for sustainable solutions. These programmes take a ‘problem-solving approach’ to address ongoing regional and global changes covering a range of issues.

"Increased knowledge and capacity is one of the most important tools we have to mitigate the effects of climate change," Pettersen said, after signing the agreement. "It is particularly important in the Himalayan region, which is very vulnerable to melting glaciers and other consequences of climate change which create significant challenges for food production and access to clean water," he said, adding that several of the countries in the region experience big problems with air pollution, both indoors and outdoors. "Black carbon emissions have serious health consequences, and we need more knowledge about the source of emissions and possible actions for reducing them."