Nepal comprises of only 0.1% of land area on a global scale, but it possesses a disproportionately rich diversity of flora and fauna at genetic, species and ecosystem levels. The Biodiversity Profiles of Nepal 1996 (BPN) was the first initiative of its kind to document all the information on Nepal’s biodiversity recorded till the year 1995. However, a system needed to be established to update and verify all these information on a regular basis. Nepal Biodiversity resource Book (NBRB) was thus established to carry out those needs and give continuity to this initiative.

This publication summarises the lessons learned and recommendations from the participatory action research carried out in Nepal between September 1996 and June 2006 under the ICIMOD-coordinated People and Resource Dynamics Project (PARDYP) in Mountain Watersheds of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, funded by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), the International Development Research Centre (IDRC), and ICIMOD.

This study, prepared in close cooperation with and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific, investigates the impact of climate change on glaciers and glacial lakes in two major glacial hotspots in the Himalayas: the Dudh Koshi sub-basin in the Khumbu-Everest region in Nepal, and the Pho Chu sub-basin in Bhutan.

Kathmandu Valley is a place of extraordinary natural and cultural beauty. But it is a valley now transformed almost beyond recognition. Constantly growing traffic congestion, polluted air from vehicles and brick factories, rapidly expanding urban sprawl, streams and rivers that too often resemble sewers, piles of waste, and shortages of drinking water too often obscure the beauty beneath and beyond.

The Ratu Khola watershed employs flood-hazard mapping to study flood hazard, risk, and vulnerability in a watershed unit. The study combined three approaches: a geomorphic approach using geographical information system and remote sensing; measurement of rainfall-runoff processes using the Hydrological Engineering Corporation’s River System Analysis (HEC-RAS) model; and social flood hazard mapping based on community experiences.

This publication presents the findings and results of the 'International Workshop on Flash Floods and Sustainable Development in the Himalayas' organised by ICIMOD, the China Meteorological Administration (CMA), and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) in Lhasa, PR China, in October 2005, with support from the Government of Norway and the USAID Office of US Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA).

Managing renewable natural resources in hillside and mountain areas is critical to sustaining these resources and the livelihood opportunities they present, especially to marginal farmers. This publication presents the findings of a Symposium and Research Workshop on Renewable Natural Resources Management for Mountain Communities held in Nepal in 2003.

ICIMOD's People and Resource Dynamics in Mountain Watersheds of the Hindu Kush-Himalayas Project (PARDYP), funded by SDC, IDRC, and ICIMOD, has been carrying out research in middle mountain watersheds since 1996, focussing on natural resource degradation and community and farm-based options to promote rehabilitation of degraded lands and increase in on-farm productivity. This publication is a compilation of the papers presented at a wrap-up workshop for Phase 2 of the project in December 2003.

Mountains are special places. For many they are sacred; to most they bring an uplifting of the spirit and refreshment; to all they bring water, and rich biodiversity. Many of them have received legislative recognition by designation as parks or reserves of various kinds, and it is for the planners and managers of this estate that this book has been written.

Mountains are special places. For many they are sacred; to most they bring an uplifting of the spirit and refreshment; to all they bring water, and rich biodiversity. Many of them have received legislative recognition by designation as parks or reserves of various kinds, and it is for the planners and managers of this estate that this book has been written.

Have you ever heard of cloud forests? These intriguing ecosystems only represent 2% of the world’s tropical forests. And yet, they are important treasure houses of biodiversity and suppliers of large volumes of high-quality stream-flow.

The series 'Focus on Godavari' has been developed to provide a platform for wider dissemination of information on topics related to the activities at ICIMOD's Demonstration and Training Centre, Godavari, including background information about technologies, species, and general approaches for integrated mountain development; results of trials and recommendations of appropriate species and technologies; and reports on outreach and training activities both on and off site.