Himalayas
Credit: John Cottle (Oxford)

This month Earthscape welcomes new contributor, The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), established in 1983 in Kathmandu, Nepal and highlights several other international organizations researching climate change impact, biodiversity, sustainable development, educational and cultural preservation in mountain regions around the globe.

Educational Resources

The Mountain Research Initiative (MRI) is a multidisciplinary scientific organization that addresses global change issues in mountain regions around the world.

The MRI supports a number of regional projects
GCR Network in the Mountains of Northern Eurasia
Global Change Research in African Mountains
The Mountain Component of MAIRS
Global Change Research in European Mountains
The American Cordillera Transect

The Centre for Mountain Studies (CMS) was established at Perth College in August 2000, with the objective of creating a centre of excellence for work in mountain areas within the emerging University of the Highlands and Islands (currently UHI Millennium Institute) with a focus on mountain environments and the people who depend on them.
CMS offers online postgraduate certificate programs in Managing Sustainable Mountain Development. All modules are written and delivered by specialist staff from across UHI.

The Mountain Institute's mission is to advance mountain cultures and preserve mountain environments. Founded in 1972, The Mountain Institute is based in Washington, DC, and has offices and community-based programs in the Andean, Appalachian and Himalayan mountain ranges, partnering with local people to strengthen their communities and to conserve their natural resources and cultural heritage. They offer Learning About Mountains, a high-quality on-line guide to resources for teachers and kids.

Global Change in Mountain Regions (GLOCHAMORE), a world-wide network to study global change processes in mountains, has been set up since October 2003. It is based on some 25 mountain biosphere reserves in all continents that serve as monitoring and study sites. A research strategy has been worked out to detect signals of global change, identify the consequences and suggest responses at local and regional scales.

The Global Mountain Biodiversity Assessment (GMBA)  network of DIVERSITAS actively explores and explains the great biological richness of the mountains of the world. GMBA seeks to provide input to policy makers and stakeholders for the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity in mountain regions.

The Centre for Alpine Ecology is a research body of the Trento Independent Provincial Council, in operation since 1st March 1993. The purpose of the Centre is to promote, co-ordinate and realize research projects, on a local and trans-frontier level, regarding the alpine environment - including both its natural and its human and cultural components - from the viewpoint of lasting development.

Centre for Development and Environment 
Their Mountain Agenda is an informal group of people, drawn from the academic and development cooperation communities worldwide, who have a professional interest in sustainable mountain development. The group was created prior to the Rio Earth Summit (UN Conference on Environment and Development 1992) to enhance the position of mountains on the global development and environment agenda. CDE hosts the informal secretariat of the Mountain Agenda and also distributes the group’s publications.

From the Earthscape Archives

Perspectives of Natural Disasters in East and South Asia, and the Pacific Island States: Socio-economic Correlates and Needs Assessment

Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development

Prevention and Mitigation of Avalanche Disasters in Western Himalayan Region

Mesoscale Modeling for Mountain Weather Forecasting Over the Himalayas

National Landslide Hazards Mitigation Strategy: A Framework for Loss Reduction