At-a-glance

Programme goal

Supporting young women and men in scholarly pursuits, entrepreneurship (HUC, SANDEE, and HIMAP) and skill development and leadership enhancement to promote sustainable mountain development

Programme locations

Philippus Wester

Programme Manager

Our focus

Action-oriented networking

Scholars and researchers from universities and academic institutions have a critical role to play in knowledge generation, the development of human capacities, and contributions to science for mountain areas.

The role of knowledge and action networks in sustainable development has been recognized at regional and global levels, especially in the context of achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Universities have been mandated as key institutions for catalyzing science, technology, innovation, and action research with an aim to improve people’s well-being and provide evidence for policy making.

Global platforms such as the Higher Education Sustainability Initiative and the Sustainable Development Solution Network of the United Nations have effectively contributed to the deployment and activation of science and knowledge to address pressing environmental challenges and promoting regional and international cooperation.

Initiatives

Strength of existing alliances

Mountain Knowledge and Action Networks (MKAN) encapsulates our capacity to draw on the strength of existing alliances such as SANDEE, HUC, and HIMAP to produce and share knowledge.

HIMAP

HUC

SANDEE

MKAN draws on the strengths, momentum, and lessons taken from existing alliances, and promotes cross-fertilization among them, aiming for evidence-based policies and practical solutions to benefit upstream and downstream communities. MKAN also works to stay abreast of current trends and demands from our RMCs regarding youth needs and respond whenever opportunities arise for promoting youth engagement in sustainable development activities across the HKH.

The MKAN programme works on five fundamental pillars:

Fostering regional collaborative mountain-focused research and training, generating cohorts of HUC fellows – researchers and scholars – who will produce advanced mountain-specific studies, work toward practical solutions for transboundary issues, and champion environmental leadership
Strengthening the capacity of environmental economists (SANDEE) through grants and mentoring at workshops and training courses, and to strengthen their linkages with the private and public sectors;
Engaging scientists, researchers, practitioners, and policymakers (HIMAP) in a regularized system of comprehensive and thematic assessments
Fostering the uptake of science for policy action through a series of HKH science-policy dialogues (HIMAP);
Supporting young women and men in scholarly pursuits, entrepreneurship (HUC, SANDEE and HIMAP) and skill development and leadership enhancement to promote sustainable mountain development

Success stories

Our lasting impact

The problems facing the people and mountains of the HKH aren’t just solved with brilliant theories. They are solved by having a hands-on understanding of the challenges of the region, and a truly holistic approach that places as much emphasis on implementation as it does on understanding.