Sustainable Mountain Development No. 56, ICIMOD, Winter 2009
start-up phase whose overall goal will be to establish
regional member countries, to sustainably manage
the institutional framework for regional cooperation and
cultural and ecological diversity in the region through
ecosystem management approaches for conservation of
participatory processes, and to promote landscape-
the rich cultural and biological diversity of this region. The
level ecosystem management approaches addressing
proposed transboundary KSL comprises a vast landscape
transboundary conservation and sustainable
of great variety and diversity, and includes Mt. Kailash
development. Maintaining the sacred nature and
and its environs in the south-west of Tibet Autonomous
intrinsically unique elements of this cultural and sacred
Region in China, and portions of the adjacent pilgrimage
landscape will be a key element of the Initiative.
routes in India and the far northwest of Nepal. Mt.
Kailash attracts pilgrims from all over the world and is
Robert Zomer, rzomer@icimod.org
considered sacred by fi ve major religions – the Buddhist,
Bon-po, Hindu, Jain, and Sikh faiths.
Improving Local Governance in the Hindu Kush-
Himalayas
The KSL will encourage transboundary cooperation
July 2009 marked the start of the programme ‘Improving
to address the challenges of global climate warming
Local Governance in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas’, which
and other environmental changes in this region, while
has the objective of alleviating poverty and improving
encouraging sustainable and environmentally sound
natural resource management through mainstreaming
approaches for development, improved livelihoods,
good practices of governance at the local level. The
tourism, poverty alleviation, food security, and alternative
focus will be on building and strengthening the capacity
livelihood options. This process will be based upon
of selected local government institutions and civil society
the development of an improved understanding of
organisations (NGOs, CBOs, federations, networks)
change processes, a regional knowledge base,
for promoting good governance in public affairs by
information sharing, capacity building, and the
establishing the rights of mountain people in relation to
promotion of stakeholder consultation and community
social, economic, and gender issues.
participation. Currently, this remote region, like much
of the rest of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region, lacks
The second phase of the programme will be
basic climatic, ecological, socioeconomic and socio-
implemented in Bangladesh, India, Nepal, and
cultural data, as well as the long-term knowledge base
Pakistan for three years, supported by ICIMOD’s
required for effective ecosystem management and
long-term partner, ICCO (Interchurch Organisation for
biodiversity conservation. As part of the KSL framework,
Development Co-operation). The programme follows
a transboundary and regional approach for long-term
from the Regional Programme for Capacity Building
ecological monitoring will be implemented, based upon
of Community-based Organisations in Advocacy
common protocols, collaboration, and data sharing.
Strategies in the HKH. The distinct characteristics of the
The KSL framework addresses the need for improved
current phase include a strong emphasis on improving
and coordinated long-term ecological monitoring across
governance by enhancing the governance capacity
the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region by piloting ICIMOD’s
of local-level stakeholders, including local communities
transect approach, which seeks to facilitate ecological
working in collaboration with ICIMOD teams on other
and environmental monitoring through enabling policy
projects, and documenting and providing regional
frameworks and institutional networks, and encouraging
experiences and lessons in local governance to ICIMOD
regional cooperation. This approach encourages the
member countries.
collection and sharing of environmental data, long-term
climate and ecological monitoring, baseline assessments,
This programme is part of ICIMOD’s attempt to promote
and in-depth fi eld studies in order to improve our
good governance in the region and to mainstream
understanding of the potential impact of global warming
good practices in the Centre’s programmes. Good
across the region on biodiversity, ecosystem services,
governance is accepted as a cross-cutting theme in
and the livelihoods of mountain communities.
development programmes as it ensures participation
and inclusiveness, the rule of law, effectiveness,
The KSL Conservation Initiative will develop a
and responsiveness as well as transparency and
framework for cooperation and common understanding
accountability. Good governance practices have been
on transboundary landscape issues in the region,
identifi ed as the key to optimisation of results while
and represents an important and timely opportunity
considering equality and equity at all levels in the
to conserve this irreplaceable cultural and natural
formulation and implementation of decisions.
landscape. This initiative supports the broad objectives
Noorin Nazarin, nnazarin@icimod.org
of the international community, ICIMOD, and the
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