Invitation: E-discussion on Sustainable Mountain Development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, 4-24 April 2011

Moderator’s note:

-------------------

With apology for cross-posting please find below an e-discussion announcement. This discussion is open to anyone who has understanding of the issues or interest in sustainable mountain development in the Himalayas and beyond.

-------------------

From: Madhav Karki
Sent: Friday, April 01, 2011 2:21 PM

Dear Colleagues,

With great pleasure and expectations, we would like to invite our learned and esteemed partners to actively participate in the Hindu Kush-Himalaya regional e-discussion on Sustainable Mountain Development (SMD), scheduled from 4^th till 24th April 2011. The e-discussion is a preliminary brainstorming session for preparing the Hindu Kush-Himalayan status report on challenges and opportunities faced by the region in promoting sustainable mountain development (SMD), considering the development initiatives taken  and their role in improving the human, social and natural dimensions of SMD. The discussion aims in capturing the understandings evolved over last twenty years since the first UNCED held in Rio in 1992 which resulted in the adoption of Agenda 21 and in which a Chapter on Mountain  (13) was also included . Syntheses of this e-discussion will eventually be part of HKH regional assessment report on the policies, plans, programmes and actions taken by GOs, NGOs, and others to realize SMD by implementing the Agenda 21, especially Chapter 13.

The intended target audience of the E-discussion in the HKH regional Rio+20 Assessment are: policy and decision makers at the international and national level, including multilateral and bilateral development agencies, national governments, private sector, and local and regional administrations. The report is further meant to address least developed mountain countries, regions and their civil society organisations including international and national NGOs and foundations; private as well as public sector enterprises, including transnational corporations; academic institutions; scientists; and researcher, scholars and academia.

The e-discussion structured as below provides enough rooms to inform, aware, report, discuss and explore information, understandings, issues, challenges, opportunities and seeks strategic forward with regard to SMD in the region.

• Pre-discussion: A short overview (with spatial/quantitative/trend data where possible)
• Week 1: Understanding different mountain systems and their contribution to providing goods and services
• Week 2: Issues, challenges and opportunities
• Week 3: How Mountain systems can provide strategic way forward for the Rio+20 Agenda?’

Further details is available on the web at http://www.icimod.org/?q=3193 .

Please click here to join the e-discussion. Please do not hesitate to write to tmahat@icimod.org in case you have any difficulty in joining the e-discussion or   need more information.

E-discussion Team

·         Overall Coordinator: Dr Madhav Karki, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD

·         Moderator: Dr Sudhirendar Sharma, Ecological  Society, New Delhi

·         E-discussion Administrator: Mr Tek Jung Mahat, APMN Node Manager, ICIMOD

I therefore invite you for your active, involved and insightful participation in this E-discussion and on behalf of the ICIMOD team and the external moderator look forward to interacting with you for contributing to our common vision of sustainable HKH region.

Sincerely, Madhav Karki

Madhav Karki, Ph.D.

Deputy Director General

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)