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In collaboration with the Government of Nepal and GRAPE, ICIMOD is hosting an international resilient solutions conference and expo to showcase innovative solutions and investment opportunities for green mountain economy. The conference will take stock of existing solutions, assess their scalability, and select solutions for their scaling potential in the HKH region. ICIMOD strives to identify, package, and demonstrate innovative and context specific solutions for the region. Through this conference, we aim to facilitate South-South learning, foster innovation, and promote solutions for sustainable transitions.
The resilient solutions conference and expo 2022 will bring together experts, public and private sector, international agencies, academia, community-based organisations, youth, entrepreneurs, financial institutions, and developmental partners.
Alongside the conference, ICIMOD will be hosting a one-day expo (6 December 2022) where participants will demonstrate innovative solutions that build the resilience of communities, reduce risks of climate change, and promote green mountain economy.
We expect participants to cover their own costs to attend the conference. However, some selected proposals maybe supported on a need basis.
5 September 2022: Call for proposals
16 October 2022: Deadline for submitting proposals
21 October 2022: Announcement of selected proposals
5-7 December 2022: Conference and Expo
Venue: ICIMOD Headquarter, Khumaltar
Theme: Knowledge and solution innovations
Objective: Take stock of scientific thoughts around challenges, risks, vulnerability, and resilience; and innovative solutions addressing societal, environmental and climate challenges in HKH
Welcome remarks from ICIMOD – Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD
Formal inauguration of conference – Hon. Ms Saloni Pradhan Singh, Member-National Planning Commission
Objective of the conference – Nand Kishor Agrawal, Regional Programme Manager, Resilient Mountain Solutions Initiative, Adaptation and Resilience Building
Opening remarks – H.E. Nona Deprez, Ambassador, European Union Opening remarks – H.E. Riina-Riikka Heikka, Ambassador, Finland Opening remarks – H.E. Thomas Prinz, Ambassador, Germany Remarks by the session chair: Hon. Ms Saloni Pradhan Singh, Member-National Planning Commission
Rapporteurs: Barsha Rani Gurung and Akshay Gurung
Announcement of the Dr Andreas Schild Memorial Mountain Prize
Prize distribution (15 mins)
Presentation by the two winners (7 mins each)
Announcement of the ‘Reading Mountains Festival’ and photo exhibition ‘Alps meet the Hindu Kush Himalaya’ – Laura Wittkopp, Alpine Convention (5 mins)
Presentation on ‘Women and mountains’ – Irmtraud Hubatschek, Photographer and filmmaker, Austria (15 mins)
Rapporteurs: Kripa Shrestha and Karishma Khadka
Keynote: Swarnim Wagle, Chair, Institute for Integrated Development studies (IIDS) and Former Vice-Chair, National Planning Commission – Nambi Appadurai, Director, Climate Resilience Practice, WRI India – Marco Gemmer, EU Delegation to Nepal, Head of Cooperation – Farid Ahmad, Head Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Strategic Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, ICIMOD – Kasturi Navalkar, VNV Advisory Services Ltd, Nepal
Rapporteurs: Erica Udas and Santosh Poudel
Venue: Nandadevi Hall
Hosts: Bandana Shakya and Srijana Joshi
Chair: Buddi Sagar Poudel, Joint Secretary and Chair, CCMD, MoFE, Nepal
Panelists: – Amba Jamir, TML, India – Devendra Kumar, GBPNIHE, India – Bijaya Pant, TU, Nepal – Jamyang Choden, NBC, Bhutan – Maheshwar Dhakal, DNPWC, Nepal – Yi Shaoliang, ICIMOD
Rapporteurs: Kesang Wangchuk, Kripa Shrestha
Venue: Annapurna Hall
Hosts: Bidya B. Pradhan and Siva P. Puppala
Panellists: – Tshering Choden, Deki Natural Dyes, Bhutan – Ram Chandra Poudel, DoTM, Nepal – Muhamad Faisal Saleem, PDMA, Pakistan – Namaraj Ghimire, DoE, Nepal – Pritpal Singh, PSCST, India
Rapporteurs: Ujala Rajbhandari, Nabina Lamichhane
Venue: Gangkhar Puensum Hall
Hosts: Anu Joshi Shrestha and Erica Udas
Panellists: – Pim de Bokx, DIA, Netherland – Manjeet Dhakal, Climate Analytics, Nepal – Sabnam Shivakoti, MoALD, Nepal – Ved Mitra Aryam, Srijan and Buddha Fellowship Program, India – Babu Ram Gautam, MOICS, Nepal – Ugan Manandhar, British Embassy, Kathmandu
Rapporteurs: Santosh Paudel, Sabina Uprety
Venue: Kailash Hall
Hosts: Abhishek Malla and Barsha Rani Gurung
Launching of the PURE tool, AEPC, Nepal
Panellists: – Gerrit Jan van ‘t Veen, WorldStartup, Netherlands – Bijay Thapa, Energize Nepal – Deepak KC, UNDP, Nepal – Narayan Prasad Adhikari, AEPC, Nepal
Rapporteurs: Ujala Rajbhandari, Kamal Aryal
Venue: ICIMOD Knowledge Park at Godavari
Theme: Expo on innovative solutions for scaling
Objective: Showcase a range of innovative solutions by partners and participants
Hosts: Laurie Vasily and Surendra Joshi
Opening remarks – Pema Gyamtsho, Director General, ICIMOD Remarks from Gajendra Maharjan, Mayor, Godavari Municipality Rapporteurs: Santosh Paudel, Akshay Gurung, Karishma Khadka
Innovations, Investments and Scaling
Panellists: – Rinzin Dorji, Bhutan Agro Industries Limited, Bhutan – Bishnu Raj Uprety, Policy Research Institute, Nepal – Wolfger Mayrhofer, Permanent Secretariat of the Alpine Convention, Austria – Pema Gyamtsho, Director General ICIMOD
Summarising and way forward – Pema Gyamtsho, ICIMOD Closing: Nand Kishor Agarwal
Rapporteurs: Srijana Joshi, Barsha Rani Gurung
Panellists: – Mohammad Obaidur Rehman, Save the Children, Bangladesh – Deepak Menaria, Lemon Ideas, India – Pramila Acharya Rijal, SAWDF, Nepal – Lhakpa, Loden Foundation, Bhutan – Pukar Malla, Daayitwa Nepal – Irmtraud Hubatschek, Photographer and filmmaker, Austria
Rapporteurs: Erica Udas, Karishma Khadka
Hosts: Faisal Mueen Qamar and Kiran Shakya
– Aamer Hayat Bhandara, Digital Dera, Pakistan – Bhogendra Mishra, PRI, Nepal – Reshma Shrestha, KU, Nepal – Rosie Witton, SEI, UK – Swostika Chauhan, Agriculture Knowledge Center, Chitwan, Nepal – Pranayna K.C. Daraz, Nepal
Rapporteurs: Barsha Rani Gurung, Sabina Uprety
Venue: Nanda Devi Hall
Hosts: Janita Gurung and Sanjeev Bhuchar
Chair: Sewa Lamsal, Joint Secretary, MoF, Nepal
Panellists: – Bipul Chatterjee, Cuts International, India – Tshering Wangmo, DAMC, Bhutan – Mozaharul Alam, UNEP, Thailand – Wenling Wang, AIRC, China – Neera Shrestha Pradhan, ICIMOD
Rapporteurs: Santosh Paudel, Sunayana Basnet
Venue: Kailash Hall Hosts: Kamal Prasad Aryal and Ujala Rajbhandari
Resilient Mountain Solutions: 10 local solutions for global impact – Introduction to the exhibition Anna Sinisalo, GRID Arendal, Norway
Panellists: – Björn Söderberg, Build up Nepal – Rajnish Jain, Avani, India – Gunjan Ghimire, Algae bioreactor, Nepal – Nabin Bikash Maharjan, Blue waste to value, Nepal – Jamyang Choden, NBC, Bhutan – Yuming Su, State Key Laboratory of Sand Resources Utilization, China
Rapporteurs: Akshay Gurung, Santosh Paudel
Venue: Kailash Hall Hosts: Naina Shakya and Santosh Raj Pathak
Keynote: Deepshikha Sharma
Panellists: – Siddhant Raj Pandey, Business Oxygen Pvt Ltd, Nepal – Bikash Chandra Bhandari, Nabil Investment Banking Limited, Nepal – Kasturi Navalkar, VNV Advisory Services Ltd, Nepal – Rojee Joshi, ADPC, Nepal – Mohammad Obaidur Rehman, Save the Children, Bangladesh – Michelle Guertin, ICIMOD
Rapporteurs: Anu Joshi Shrestha, Avishek Malla
Venue: Kailash Hall Host: Srijana Joshi
Way forward: Nand Kishor Agrawal, ICIMOD
Announcement of solution winners
Vote of thanks: Surendra Joshi, ICIMOD Closing statement – Buddi Sagar Poudel, Joint Secretary and Chair, CCMD, MoFE, Nepal Closing statement – Izabella Koziell, Deputy Director General, ICIMOD
Rapporteurs: Akshay Gurung, Karishma Khadka
Climate change presents serious challenges for the HKH region. The HKH is the pulse of the planet – what happens here affects the livelihoods of nearly two billion people, or one-fourth of humanity. Therefore, there is an urgent need to support transformative action – at scale and speed – to build the resilience of mountain communities in the HKH.
Mountain regions in the HKH have a huge potential for innovation in technology, processes, and functions to promote green economy. Although the HKH region hosts a variety of solutions, they are mostly scattered, poorly promoted and/or confined to particular geographies, and mostly implemented as standalone solutions. The challenge is not only to design and test customised solutions but also to out/upscale solutions, which are successfully piloted in small clusters. Therefore, for the wider uptake and adoption of resilient solutions, more investment is required in research, technology development, and innovation for transitioning to green economy. Given the current pace of climate change, there is a need to focus on promoting proven and actionable solutions that are economically viable and socially inclusive, for enhancing the resilience of mountain communities.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) is an intergovernmental knowledge and learning centre working on behalf of the people of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). We are based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and work in and for our eight regional member countries – Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. We work to improve the lives and livelihoods of men, women, and children of the HKH and protect mountain environments and cultures. The knowledge we create, and share helps the people of the HKH become more resilient, make the most of new opportunities, and prepare for change. Our work strengthens regional cooperation for conservation and sustainable mountain development.
The Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoFE) is a governmental entity of Nepal responsible for the conservation and management of forests and the environment in the country. Its main purposes are to enhance sustainable growth of forest and water sector and to manage biodiversity. MoFE also looks after the promotion and development of forest-related industries to alleviate poverty in the rural areas of Nepal.
GRAPE is jointly planned and financed by the European Union, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland, and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).
Head ICIMOD Knowledge Park Godavari
Programme Coordinator, Resilient Mountain Solutions Initiative
Ecosystem Specialist
Ecosystem Analyst
Regional Programme Manager, Atmosphere
Theme Leader, Ecosystems
Srijana Joshi Santosh Paudel Akshay Gurung
