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Interim Action Area Coordinator Regional action and global advocacy (SG3) Regional data, networks and institutions (SG3-AAE)
Babar Khan is a seasoned professional serving as the Senior Ecosystem Management Specialist and Action Area Coordinator for Regional Cooperation and Collaboration at ICIMOD. Profoundly dedicated to ecological stewardship, Babar specialises in crafting innovative research tools and methodologies to substantiate the manifold benefits of sustainable ecosystem service utilisation. He switched to ICIMOD after 20 years of working for WWF and IUCN on nature conservation and ecosystem management.
He graduated in animal ecology from the Graduate University of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, after doing a master’s in soil and environmental sciences.
As the Action Area Coordinator, Babar orchestrates, coordinates, and facilitates collaboration among HKH countries. His primary objective is to formalise institutional mechanisms that foster regional cooperation, thereby ensuring a unified voice in addressing the pressing regional and transboundary challenges confronting the HKH region. Through informed decision-making and a coherent policy approach, he strives to cultivate a harmonious environment where diverse stakeholders from the HKH and other mountainous regions converge to tackle shared issues and challenges.
Babar aims to create a future in the HKH region defined by resilience, inclusivity, and environmental sustainability. He has authored and co-authored two books and over 60 articles, and has also drawn up a dozen park management plans. He has represented WWF and ICIMOD at several regional and global forums.
Babar Khan
How do you protect the pulse of the planet?
The rich and diverse yet fragile ecosystems of the HKH region are exposed to unprecedented change. Despite many efforts, drivers of this change are yet to be fully understood. At ICIMOD I try to understand these drivers and their impact on ecosystem services to help people manage risks and benefits associated with these changes, for the good of both mountain societies and ecosystems.
What is your favourite part of the work you do at ICIMOD?
I cherish ICIMOD’s mission and values of using an integrated, multi-disciplinary, participatory and inclusive ecosystem-based management approach linking science, policy and practice to address critical yet common mountain issues of resilience, sustainable livelihoods, and poverty.
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about learning about complex interactions between humans and their environment and exploring ways to strike a balance between conservation and livelihood/development.
My qualifications
I have a PhD in ecology from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and an MSc (Hons) in soil and environmental sciences with a concentration in agriculture from the University of Agriculture in Pakistan.
