Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment opens first Asia hub in Nepal

Kathmandu, Sep 2 (PTI) The Hindu Kush Himalayan (HKH) region has become the third regional hub for the Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA) global research network, reflecting both the region’s immense biological richness and precarity.

“The GMBA Hindu Kush Himalaya hub, to be hosted by Kathmandu-based International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), will set out to develop assessments on the status, trends, and knowledge gaps on the zone’s biodiversity and enhance regional research capacity at a critical moment for mountain ecosystems,” says a press release issued by the ICIMOD.

“It will also examine drivers of change and evaluate the flow of nature’s contributions to people.” “It’s an honour and a great responsibility for the ICIMOD to become the latest regional hub in the important GMBA network,” said Izabella Koziell, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD, at a function to mark the opening of the hub.

“Mountain ecosystems in our region and around the world are on the brink of collapse – so this platform and the visibility and additional capacity that this collaboration brings could not be more important or timely,” she said.

Speaking on the agreement, Markus Fischer, Co-Chair of GMBA, said, “ICIMOD’s excellent expertise in employing knowledge for sustainable development in the HKH region perfectly complements GMBA’s strengths in global mountain biodiversity research.” “We are looking forward to this synergistic collaboration, to the benefit of biodiversity and people.” Under the agreement, the ICIMOD will initiate the HKH Biodiversity Assessment in 2025 and lead its implementation and coordination across the region.

The HKH Biodiversity Assessment seeks to enhance understanding of mountain biodiversity in the region through systematic knowledge mapping, analysis of publicly available datasets, and expert consultations, the press release said.

The GMBA serves as a platform for scientists and stakeholders to connect and share knowledge about mountain ecosystems and species. Initiated by the Swiss Academy of Sciences in 2000, the GMBA has evolved into a global research network under Future Earth since 2016. PTI SBP GSP GSP