Back to news
10 Jun 2016 | KSL

Mapping Kailash Kora for Conservation and Promotion of Responsible Heritage Tourism

1 min Read

70% Complete
3D view of Mount Kailash and sites along Kailash Kora

Researchers from Sichuan University, China visited the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in Nepal 18-22 April 2016 to discuss updates on mapping of significant sites along ‘Kailash Kora’, the outer walking route around sacred Kailash Mountain.

The objectives of the visit were: to locate important sites around Kailash Kora using geospatial tools & techniques; and to create a geo-database with names (Tibetan, Chinese, and English) locations, altitude, descriptions, importance, and threats with geo-tagged photographs of each site.

Mr Renzen and Dr Ying from Sichuan University, Mr Abhimanyu Pandey, Mr Marcello Notarianni, and Dr Vishwas Chitale from ICIMOD lead in the mapping exercise. Two-hundred eight significant sites along outer Kailash Kora were located using high resolution satellite images from Google Earth. All relevant information including the photographs were tagged to these sites to compile a geo-database of significant sites.

Significance of mapping cultural sites for conservation and promotion of tourism:

The mapping geo-database is the first of its kind in the region and will be crucial in the prioritisation of conservation of cultural sites. In addition, mapping will help establish conservation activities based on threats to the sites, which will be easily understandable through the documentation process.

Similar mapping in both Nepal and India has already been done. Information will be available to the public and decision makers on Kailash Sacred Landscape Information System http://geoapps.icimod.org/kailash/. These efforts will promote the nomination of KSL as a UNESCO world heritage site.

For more information please contact: 

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

12 May 2015 News
The International Glacier symposium in Kathmandu

  The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through its Cryosphere Initiative hosted the first International Glacier Symposium (IGS) in ...

1 Oct 2016 News
Paper Publication on the Discourse of Cilmate Change and Human Mobility

Should we be concerned over the impacts that climate change could have on human mobility? For many, the answer is ...

8 Jul 2016 News
HIMAP Author Writeshop Held

The Hindu Kush Himalaya Monitoring and Assessment Program’s (HIMAP) Coordinating Lead Authors' Writeshop was organised by the International Centre for ...

Greening Barren Land: Facilitating Irrigation and Agricultural Activity in Upper Hunza, Pakistan

WWF-Pakistan plans to experiment with solar pumps and hydro ramp pumps, and install drip irrigation equipment and sprinkles to pump ...

25 May 2016 Himalica
Pilot Village Bee Farmers from Bhutan and Nepal Learn about Honeybee Management

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) conducted a hands-on beekeeping training for Apis cerana bee entrepreneurs from Bhutan ...

9 Dec 2016 Gender in Koshi
ICIMOD-supported Local Water Use Plans Gain Momentum

For the people of Bhimeswar in the Koshi basin of Nepal’s hilly Sindhuli district, the winter harvest season began with ...

3 May 2016 Himalica
Farmers Learn Modern Beekeeping

Beekeeping with Apis cerana is a common practice among the pilot households in Taplejung district of Nepal. Over one-third of the households ...

16 Dec 2013 News
White paper launched on COP 19 sidelines

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) supported the launch of the Association of International Research ...