ASIA PACIFIC MOUNTAIN
NETWORK (APMN)
BULLETIN

ISSN No. 1027-0035

Volume 1, Number 2

September 1996

IN THIS ISSUE

Editorial

First Meeting of the APMN Focal Point Coordinators

The Mountain Forum: An Electronic Conference

Subregional Update

Mountains of Asia: The Sacred Altai

Mountain Women

Mountain News, Views, and Events

ICIMOD News

Announcement

Publications

Readers' Mail

Request

FROM THE COORDINATOR’S DESK...

A reasonable amount of progress has been made by the APMN since the first APMN Bulletin last March. So far, we have concluded agreements with four focal points throughout Asia. Some of these focal points have already started providing inputs for the Bulletin. A meeting of the Focal Point Coordinators has been set for March 17-19, 1997. The second issue of the Bulletin is in front of you and a full-time assistant has been appointed by ICIMOD to manage the increasing volume of work.

All of these represent developments that have been initiated by the APMN Secretariat and are, in our opinion, important and essential. However, in order to be sustainable, we must be demand driven and not supply governed. The main challenge for APMN is to find a real niche among the mountain people and their organisations in Asia. All of you out there who are concerned about the future of your mountain people and their habitats, the message to you is GET INVOLVED!

There are several ways of getting involved. Firstly, make a firm commitment to bring about sustainable mountain development. Secondly, mobilise and generate information on critical mountain-related issues. Thirdly, evaluate actual successes and failures and, fourthly, provide inputs on how to pursue successful policies and programmes for the benefit of mountain people and their environments. UNCED Agenda 21 has provided a whole range of important subjects and issues for us to work on. Let us all get involved and see how best we can promote sustainable mountain development. Please write to us at ICIMOD or to any of the subregional focal points (page 4) if you wish to share some aspect of mountain development that you consider relevant for the future of mountain people and their environments.

Dr. Mahesh Banskota
APMN Coordinator, ICIMOD


FIRST APMN COORDINATORS' MEETING

MARCH 17 -19, 1997, KATHMANDU

With most of the subregional focal points of the APMN on board, it is now time to start planning for face to face interaction on how best to energise the APMN. The tentative dates for the first APMN Coordinators’ Meeting is scheduled for the week of March 17, 1997 for approximately 2-3 days. The venue is Kathmandu.

The main objective of this meeting is to further define and refine the activities of the APMN - both collectively as well as individually by the different focal points. There is an urgent need for the focal points to become more active in their respective areas, especially in terms of collecting issues and identifying priorities. Each focal point must now develop a short-term as well as a long-term agenda for their specific subregions. Based on this, we may succeed in putting together a concrete programme for the future, including the mobilisation of requisite resources.

The APMN Secretariat, ICIMOD


UNCED AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 13


THE THIRD ADHOC INTERAGENCY MEETING ON FOLLOW-UP TO UNCED AGENDA 21, CHAPTER 13

The Third Ad hoc Meeting was held in Aviemore,Scotland on April 22, 1996, and was attended by representatives from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations University (UNU), ICIMOD, the International Union of Forestry Research Organisations (IUFRO), International Mountain Society (IMS), The Mountain Institute (TMI), the World Conservation Union (IUCN), Centre for Alpine Environments (ICALPE), African Mountains’ Association (AMA), and the International Union of Alpinist Associations (UIAA).The meeting was chaired by Mr. Luis S. Botero of the FAO Forestry Department.

The principal objective of the meeting was to review the progress made after the Second Inter-agency Ad hoc Meeting held in Lima, Peru, on February 20, 1995 and the follow-up action taken by the concerned agencies and organisations on the recommendations of the Third Session of the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD). The meeting also discussed the future course of action in view of the upcoming five-year review of action taken on all Chapters of Agenda 21, since the Rio Conference in 1992, scheduled for 1997.

The first item on the agenda for the meeting was an overview of the progress made in implementing the decisions and recommendations of the Third Session of the CSD, which was given by the FAO, the Task Manager for Chapter 13. The overview included information on the regional consultations on Chapter 13 and the work undertaken on the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable mountain development. A presentation was then made by each representative on the progress made since the second inter-agency meeting. Some of the highlights were the establishment of the Uganda Mountain Resources’ Centre, a regional centre focussing on mountain research; four new mountain sites among 13 new biosphere reserves; IUFRO’s recently established Task Force on Mountains and Forest Development; the significant growth of the network of scientists and managers working in mountain protected areas; the role played by IUCN’s European Programme and ICALPE in organising the European Intergovernmental Consultation on Chapter 13; new mountain publications by ICALPE; the upcoming AMA meeting in 1997 on community involvement and participation in mountain development; TMI’s work in high-altitude archeology and on sacred mountains; ICIMOD’s role in establishing the APMN; and UIAA’s efforts to channel financial inputs from hikers and trekkers directly into local mountain communities.

Item five on the agenda covered the recent work undertaken by the FAO and other UN agencies on the development of criteria and indicators for sustainable mountain development. FAO indicated that it would like to include members of the inter-agency group in further development of the criteria and indicators. In terms of the guidelines for formulation of sustainable mountain development programmes, which the FAO had requested TMI to develop, the participants unanimously agreed on the usefulness of such an exercise. Other activities reported upon and discussed during the meeting included the continued and important role of NGOs in shaping and pursuing the Mountain Agenda; advances in national and regional-level action; the possibility of holding a major international meeting on Chapter 13; the planned publication of The State of the World’s Mountains - 1997; and the status of the quarterly journal, Mountain Research and Development.

Discussions were also held on the upcoming fifth session of the CSD and the planned session of the UN General Assembly in June 1997. The Meeting recommended that the Fourth Inter-agency Meeting on Chapter 13 Follow-up be held in conjunction with the second session of the European Inter-governmental Consultations to be held in October 1996 in Trento, Italy.

For further information, contact:
El Hadji Sene, Chief, FORC
Forestry Department, FAO
Vialle delle Terme di Caracella
00100 Rome, Italy


THE MOUNTAIN FORUM


PAYING FOR MOUNTAINS: INNOVATIVE MECHANISMS AND PROMISING EXAMPLES FOR FINANCING CONSERVATION AND SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT (PFM)

AN ELECTRONIC CONFERENCE

The Mountain Forum, a global electronic network, offers a venue for global linkage of individuals and organisations concerned with mountain cultures, environment, and sustainable development and was formed with the purpose of providing mutual support and exchange of ideas and experiences.The Mountain Forum’s first electronic conference, PFM, began on July 9 and ended on August 8. It was initiated at the request of the FAO and the content moderator was Lynelle Preston of The Mountain Institute. The goal of this conference was to identify innovative financial mechanisms and derive operational principles that can help reverse the net loss of resources from the mountains.

There were approximately 210 subscribers to this conference from throughout the world with an
average of 10 new postings every day. The discussions began with the topic of user fees and associated community rights. Specific cases on this topic included the Annapurna Conservation Area Project in Nepal and the Pippen System in Sikkim, India. Another thread of discussion revolved around trust funds; a useful description of Debt-for-Nature swaps and information regarding the Regional Consultations on Trust Funds in Latin America and the upcoming consultation in Asia were also posted.

The second and third weeks saw more discussion on user fees and potential fees that could be established to help pay for the mountains such as a-dollar-a-day fee for enjoying the mountain scenery, a tourist tree tax, and a multi-tiered fee structure. An interesting posting suggested employing mountain farmers as mitigators of global warming. A discussion on the transfer of urban water utility revenues to finance watershed protection and biodiversity conservation was thought provoking. It is encouraging to witness active thinking on how to get downstream users to compensate for upstream communities and environments. Discussions were held on the use of transferable development rights as a mechanism to finance the protection of conservation areas and regional trademarks as a mechanism which ensures that low-cost competition is avoided and an appropriate price is maintained for a particular (mountain) product. Many promising and specific examples of mechanisms were documented such as village micro-hydropower schemes.

The fourth week was an especially busy week with the discussions touching on a variety of issues and mechanisms such as micro-enterprise development, ecotourism, and community forestry in Nepal; the Bhutan trust fund; localisation; incentive-based initiatives in Mongolia and Tibet; Mt. Taranaki in New Zealand; and mountain management in the Sumava Mountains of the Czech Republic, among others.

These discussions will serve as input to a document that will seek to provide guidance to policy-makers and planners in developing programmes and policies that will mobilise more financial resources for mountain conservation and sustainable development projects.This document will be used in the U.N. review of Agenda 21 next year.

For further information on PFM, contact:
Elizabeth Byers, MF Moderator
The Mountain Institute
Franklin, WV 26807, USA
Email : ebyers@mtnforum.org


SUBREGIONAL UPDATE


AUSTRALASIA/PACIFIC

A NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENT FOR THE HIGH COUNTRY OF NEW ZEALAND: SUMMARY OF A WORKSHOP SPONSORED BY THE CENTRE FOR MOUNTAIN STUDIES, LINCOLN UNIVERSITY

The workshop focussed on the potential contribution of a national policy statement (NPS) for the high country of New Zealand. The topic itself is consistent with Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 and other political and resource management considerations. The workshop participants included representatives from the Federated Farmers, Ministry of Environment, Canterbury Regional Council, Royal Forest and Bird Protection Council, Lincoln University, North Canterbury Fish and Game Council, and the Department of Conservation. In New Zealand, there is only one existing example of an NPS , the Coastal Policy Statement, and this is not a useful example for the High Country case. The 1979 statement of Government policy on the High Country could perhaps be taken as a more relevant starting point. The Workshop participants judged that an NPS should be a statement which ... provides the vision and policy direction on issues of national importance.

The need for an NPS was highlighted by the unsustainable practices in many parts of the High Country; the need for consistency of approach when dealing with issues in the High Country; and the need to update the 1979 statement of government policy.

Some of the reasons for developing an NPS were that an NPS could potentially achieve a coordinated approach to some parts of integrated resource management in the high country and an NPS would identify criteria and principles to be applied in pursuing integrated resource management in the high country.

Some of the reasons given against developing an NPS included the facts that determining a national policy under the RMA would be time consuming and costly; a revision of Regional Policy
Statements, regional plans, and district plans would be necessary; and the high country is too diverse for a national policy. During the Workshop it had been argued by many present that an NPS would be most helpful if it dealt with policy and goals, rather than specific objectives and tactics. The Workshop members recommended that ... the Ministry for the Environment be urged to consider the merit of initiating a 1979-like representative meeting to consider if it is worth maintaining, reviewing and updating the 1979 policy on High Country. The outcomes of this workshop could be of international interest. However, the questions of politics, ownership, and relevance must not be overlooked.

For further information, contact Dr. Ken Hughey


NORTH CENTRAL ASIA

The International Centre for Geoecology of the Arid Mountain Countries (ICGAMC) was established as a non-governmental, non-commercial research institution. The main focus of this Centre is the study of hydrology and glaciology in the mountain massifs of Central Asia, namely, the Tien Shan, the Pamir, and the Altai. The Centre includes three research stations located around Almaty, the capital city of Kazakhstan, within an altitudinal range of from 2,300 to 3,500masl. The Centre invites cooperation from institutions and individuals in the field of geoecology and sustainable development of mountain areas.

The International University of Kyrghyzstan and the National Academy of Sciences are planning to establish the Central Asian International Mountain Society with the purpose of strengthening research cooperation in sustainable development in Central Asia. Special emphasis will be on the upland Issyk Kul Lake and the Tien Shan. The Society will be founded by the International University of Kyrghyzstan during the International Conference on Highland Studies in October 1996.

The Government of the Republic of North Ossetia-alania has begun formulating a Mountain

Law which will establish legal grounds for sustainable development of mountain regions in the Republic. The law will take into account the experiences of several European countries, such as Switzerland, France, and Italy, and the recommendations of the European Inter-governmental Consultations on Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions (Scotland, Italy, 1996).The Organising Committee of the Vladikavkaz Conference has distributed the First Information Letter of the Third International Conference on Sustainable Development of Mountain Regions which will take place in September 1998 in Vladikavkaz. Some of the thematic areas suggested for discussion are as follow.
1. Theoretical aspects of the strategy for sustainable development in mountain regions
2. Monitoring of ecosystems , information systems, communications, and accessibility of data banks
3. Social and environmental aspects of transition to sustainable development
4. Cultural and natural heritage of nations, protected natural territories, and biodiversity of the mountain countries

For further information, contact Dr Yuri Badenkov


WEST ASIA

THE TURKISH FOUNDATION FOR COMBATING SOIL EROSION, FOR REFORESTATION, AND FOR THE PROTECTION OF NATURAL HAZARDS

TEMA was founded in 1992 under the leadership of Hayrettin Karaca (President, TEMA) and Nihat Gokyigit (Vice President, TEMA) and 30 prominent businessmen and industrialists with the aim of raising awareness and bringing about public and political pressure on issues related to land degradation, deforestation, topsoil level protection, natural habitats, and wildlife. It also aims to bring about environmentally-sound policies for combating soil erosion as well as biodiversity conservation. TEMA has been actively involved in developing and implementing projects on rural development, rangeland rehabilitation, reforestation, erosion mapping, and education.It is the only country-wide Turkish NGO that focusses specifically on combating erosion.

It has approximately 5,850 members and 67 voluntary representatives working in different regions of Turkey.The foundation works in collaboration with a scientific council consisting of 54 scientists from various Turkish Universities. TEMA is the first NGO in Turkey to have addressed Parliament. In order to raise awareness amongst the Turkish public on environmental issues, TEMA has a strong public education focus which includes seminars, audio visual materials, and so on. TEMA is also represented at the international level: it is accredited by the UN, INCD Secretariat and by Habitat II and is a member of many international organisations and networks, one of which is the Asia Pacific Mountain Network.
For further information, contact Dr Leyla Celikel

MOUNTAINS OF ASIA


THE SACRED ALTAI

The Altai is a mountain chain stretching from South Central Siberia into Western Mongolia, forming the boundary of Northern Sinkiang and sloping away into the Gobi Desert. Although similar in character to the Alps, the Altai cover a far greater area, extending from the Irtysh Valley eastward to the Sayan Range. The majority of this chain is located in Russia (Republic of Altai) and in Mongolia (Mongolian and Gobi Altai). The highest peak of this range is Mt. Beluha (4506 m).

A quarter of the Republic of Altai is wooded and the most valuable tree species is cedar - -"the Altai Taiga Tsar". The landscape of Altai is diverse and picturesque. Altai is a pra-motherland of the Altai language family which includes over 35 Turk nations. Furthermore, three religions of the world - Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam - come together in this region. Shamanism is also widespread among the indigenous people.

The Altai region has been a transitional area for many nations and tribes such as the Scyphs, Hunns, ancient Turks, and the Mongol warriors of Tenghiz-Khan. Towards the middle of the 19th Century, the Altai region became part of the Russian Empire. However, in the 20th century, Altai became an autonomous unit of the Russian Federation under different names at different times, such as the Karakorum okrug (1920), the Oyrot oblast (1922), the Gorno-Altai oblast (19¢8?), and the Republic of Altai (1992).

At present, the territory of the Republic of Altai is 92,000 sq.km. and the population is 200,000 (1995). The capital, Gorno-Altaisk, has a population of 46,700. The territory is weakly developed and the average population density is 2.2 pers. per sq.km. More than 70 percent of the total population live in the rural areas. The economic axis of the Republic is directed from north ( with the relatively developed foothill and lowland Altai Kray) to south ( with the marginal mountain regions of Mongolia) along the ancient caravan route of the Chuy Valley. Over 90 per cent of the Republic’s budget is donated from the Federal budget. The industries are also economically weak.

The Government and the Parliament (El Kurultai) of the Republic have, at present, been actively searching for the ways to transit to a sustainable development model and achieve a balance between economic growth and protection of the environmental and spiritual values of Altai. These issues will be discussed at the International Conference on "Altai in the System of Sustainable Development of the Mountain Territories", which will take place in Gorno-Altaisk. For further details on the Conference, please contact Dr. Yuri Badenkov.


MOUNTAIN WOMEN


A CALL FOR INNOVATIONS IN DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMMES

"All effective projects have emerged from and as a result of the organisation of women for collective action, which is required to confront powerlessness." (Wignaraja 1990)

The principal objective of a development programme is to improve the quality of life and this is based on two elements: condition and position. The conditions of women’s lives can be changed in a relatively short time span. They do not challenge the gender divisions of labour or women’s subordinate position in society. Change in women’s position, however, is a greater challenge, based on issues of power and control over resources. Meeting strategic gender needs helps women to achieve greater equality, alters existing roles, and thereby improves women’s economic and social standing in relation to others.

Mountain women themselves identify their practical needs related to their primary roles in family care, farm production, and community management. Planners, who are interested in addressing these same needs, find a unity of purpose with these priorities and claim to have a ‘Women in Development’ programme. However, the more profound needs for equality cannot be met solely through the design and implementation of women’s programmes along these lines. The capacity to confront the nature of gender inequality and women’s subordination can only be fulfilled when the bottom-up struggle of women’s organisations has been incorporated (Moser 1993). Only when both the practical and strategic needs of mountain women are addressed can governments and development agencies claim that they are meeting the challenge of achieving sustainable development in mountain communities.

Over the past ten years, it has been seen that when women organise and participate as active subjects rather that as passive objects of development programmes, they can move from a condition of mere survival to one of sustainable development (Wignaraja 1990). Some examples of successful women’s organisations are the Production Credit for Rural Women (PCRW) in Nepal and the Self Employed Women’s Association (SEWA) in India. Based on Gandhian principles, SEWA began as a trade union to deal with the total problems of poor women working in the informal sector. SEWA

provides poor women with a support system not only in their workplace, but also in their homes. 2,100 members (in 1990) are organised into small groups, according to their livelihoods as vendors, home-based producers, and labourers, which elect their own leaders. (Wignaraja 1990).

( Sources: Gurung, J. D., 1995. Organising Mountain Women, Discussion Paper Series No. MFS 95/2, Kathmandu, Nepal: ICIMOD
Wignaraja, P., 1990. Women, Poverty, and Resources. New Delhi: Sage Publications
Moser, C. O. N.., 1993. Gender Planning and Development: Theory, Practice and Training. London: Routledge )


THE GENDER, ENVIRONMENT, AND DEVELOPMENT NETWORK (GEDNET)

Engendering change...

GEDNET Asia, initiated by ENGENDER, the Centre for Environment, Gender, and Development, Singapore, and sponsored by Canada’s International Development Research Centre, is the result of an informal network of researchers working on critical issues related to the environment, gender, and development in the Asia/Pacific Region.

Two of its key projects are located in mountainous regions. The ‘Technology and Environment’ Project is based in Chiang Mai Province in Northern Thailand and focusses on the environmental impact and sustainability of gender-based weaving and dyeing in Northern Thailand. The ‘Gender, Food, and Community-based Natural Resource Management’ Project, encompassing Nepal, Himachal Pradesh and Nagaland in India, Bhutan and Tibet, focusses on research into women’s indigenous knowledge on the use of soils, plants, and animals to meet household needs and on women’s role as resource managers and livelihood providers.

The ultimate aim of GEDNET Asia and its current two-year work programme is to help make current development processes more gender equitable, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable.

(For further information on GEDNET, contact:
Dr. Vivvienne Wee
ENGENDER, 14C Trengannu St.
Singapore 058468
TEL : (65) 227 1439, email: engender@igc.apc.org )


MOUNTAIN NEWS, VIEWS, AND EVENTS


SOIL CONSERVATION AND UPLAND RICE SYSTEMS IN VIETNAM

In the upland areas of Vietnam, approximately 40,000 ha, in the hilly and mountainous landforms of the North, the Central High Plateau, and the eastern part of the South are under upland rice crops. The widespread view that this crop is a non-economic and unsustainable crop is, however, not shared by the highland farmers of this region. As a traditional crop, the indigenous varieties can withstand drought, low fertility, and low inputs by the highlanders who are part of the rural poor of this country. Moreover, substantial scope for improving the systems, with the potential yields far exceeding the present yields, exists.

In terms of soil conservation and fertility, although soil loss was commonly higher than with other crops grown under similar soil conditions, intercropping with other crops such as black beans and soybeans is highly recommended on sloping land. Upland rice crops require almost zero inputs and the application of farmyard manure or mineral fertilizers showed no or little effect. These upland rice systems have proven to be sensitive to improvement measures. However, appropriate soil conservation and nutrient amendment measures could go a long way towards optimising the benefits of this crop.

HET’S SECOND PROJECT IN NEPAL

The Himalayan Environment Trust (HET) has initiated its second conservation project in Nepal by donating a micro-hydel project in Lo Mantang, Mustangbhot, in Northwestern Nepal to be operated by the King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation (KMTNC). In light of the fact that His Majesty’s Government of Nepal (HMG/N) has recently decided to open this area to tourism, this project could be instrumental in reducing the dependence on forest wood. This project is also envisaged as a people’s participatory project. HMG/N, through the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP), has contributed some funds and will be supporting the project to the maximum. Solar power experiments have begun in the area and, with the help of the recently-installed incinerator, ACAP is disposing of bio-degradable items. Initiatives such as this can help to minimise the adverse impacts of tourism and conserve the beauty of areas such as Mustangbhot.

EASTERN HIMALAYAS - CORRIDORS AND CLIMATE CHANGE

Black Mountains National Park and Royal Manas National Park in Bhutan and Manas National Park in Assam, India exemplify the role that protected areas with corridors and transfrontier conservation can play in biodiversity conservation. Black Mountains National Park in Central Bhutan covers broad-leaved forests and alpine meadows. It encompasses a diverse variety of large protected areas with a wide range of altitude and habitat ranges and provides a corridor that leads to the Royal Manas National Park in southern Bhutan. The World Wildlife Fund for Nature has identified 449 species of birds in this combined area, and this number exceeds that of any other protected area in Asia.

Manas National Park in Assam, India, constitutes a 2,900 km2 contiguous wildlife habitat in India and Bhutan. It has 22 species of mammals listed in Schedule I of the 1972 Wildlife Protection Act of India and over 320 species of birds and is considered to be one of the high biodiversity areas of India. The park has also been a part of the Manas Tiger Reserve since 1973. In the context of climate change, such a corridor can facilitate seasonal movements and dispersal of birds and several mammals and biota under the spell of climate change may migrate between these protected areas rather than across unprotected lands.

However, in the context of connectivity, what kind of connectivity does these areas provide? Paucity of data; high rates of poaching; apprehension that corridors will lead to the establishment of smaller reserves; and the risk of spread of catastrophes such as predators, fires, and disease are some of the attendant criticisms and apprehensions with regard to corridor and transfrontier conservation.

RANGELAND MANAGEMENT IN UPLAND BALUCHISTAN

Sustainability in the rangeland scenario is recognised to be difficult to define. The concept of rangeland sustainability can come true provided that there is adequate understanding of a number of factors and their interactions, such as ecosystem-level components and their interactions on temporal and spatial scales. The nature and magnitude of products that a society has to derive from a given rangeland must not be overlooked. Furthermore, a healthy balance among the different components of an ecosystem and an understanding of community dynamics, animal behaviour, nutrient cycling, and other rangeland dynamics are imperative.

Baluchistan is the largest province of Pakistan, with an area of 34.5 million hectares. Livestock rearing constitutes a major source of livelihood. The upland regions of Baluchistan support 11.3 million sheep and 7.8 million goats. Increases in livestock population, along with harsh climatic conditions, have resulted in severe problems of over-grazing and deterioration of the natural vegetation. Due to the continuous grazing pressure, palatable plant species are declining and are giving way to inherently slow growing and less palatable woody vegetation. The above scenario provides an opportunity for the introduction of new suitable forage species. During winter, forage deficit in upland Baluchistan is a serious problem. It is, thus, imperative to introduce species that can provide ample forage during the time when other native plant species are dormant.

DEGRADATION OF FARM LANDS IN SOUTH ASIA

FAO, UNDP, and UNEP estimate that the countries of South Asia, Iran and Afghanistan are losing at least 9.8 to 11 billion dollars annually as a result of losses resulting from land degradation on 43 per cent of the region’'s total farmland. A high enough figure, this is still an underestimate because it measures only the on-site effects such as reduced agricultural production, while leaving off-site effects such as river silting, floods, and road damages. The types of degradation assessed by the above organisations, in a joint report, were soil erosion caused by water, wind, soil fertility decline, water-logging, salinisation, and lowering of the water table.

Soil erosion caused by water was the most widespread, affecting 25 per cent of all agricultural land in the region. In many areas of sloping land, for example in Nepal, it is severe, causing permanent loss of the land’'s productive capacity. It was also found that 43 per cent of the region’'s total agricultural land suffered from one form of degradation or another. Of this, 31 million hectares were severely degraded and 63 million hectares moderately degraded. The country worst effected was Iran with 94 per cent of agricultural land degraded, followed by Bangladesh (75 per cent), and Pakistan (61 per cent).

(SOURCES: ASOCON Newsletter: Vol. 6, No 1; Himalayas, Ecology and Environment: Vol 4, No 1; Habitat Himalaya: Vol 3, No. 1; Development and Cooperation: No. 3)


ICIMOD NEWS


THE KATHMANDU DECLARATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE ECOHYDROLOGY OF HIGH MOUNTAIN AREAS

The International Conference on the Ecohydrology of High Mountain Areas, held in March 1996 in Kathmandu, Nepal, was a joint initiative of UNESCO, ICIMOD, the German IHP/OHP, WMO, and DHM. The conference attracted the attention of scientific communities and decision-makers at the global level and within the Asia/Pacific region. The participating scientists highlighted regional issues in ecohydrology such as data collection and information systems; atmostpheric, hydrologic, and ecological interactions; water-induced hazards of erosion; and sedimentation and landscape processes.

MEETING OF THE ICSI WORKING GROUP ON HIMALAYAN HYDROLOGY

A four-year Working Group on Himalayan Glaciology was created by the International Commission on Snow and Ice (ICSI) during the IUGG General Assembly in Boulder in 1995. The objective was to bring together specialists in glaciology from the Himalayan countries along with some experts from outside, with experience in Himalayan conditions, in order to summarise the current state of knowledge of snow and ice sciences in the region. A group of 13 was identified and the first meeting was held at ICIMOD in March 1996. The Working Group proposed the production of a report in the International Association for Hydrological Sciences (IAHS) Red Book format by mid-1998 on the present state of knowledge of glaciers in the Himalayas. At the Kathmandu
meeting, the group resolved to identify available baseline data and to recommend free exchange of such data between scientists living in the Himalayan countries.

INTERNATIONAL GEOSPHERE BIOSPHERE PROGRAMME (IGBP) BIOSPHERIC ASPECTS OF THE HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE (BAHC)-GLOBAL CHANGE IN TERRESTRIAL ECOSYTEMS (GCTE) /START-SASCOM WORKSHOP ON "GLOBAL CHANGE IMPACTS ON MOUNTAIN HYDROLOGY AND ECOLOGY"

This workshop is considered to be a reaction of the IGBP scientific community to the UNCED Agenda 21, Chapter 13: Managing Fragile Ecosystems - Sustainable Mountain Development (the "Mountain Agenda"). It was held in ICIMOD and was convened by Dr. A.Becker, Vice Chair of the BAHC Scientific Steering Committee and Dr. H. Bugmann for GCTE, both from the Potsdam Institute of Climate Impact Research (PIK), Potsdam, Germany. As intended, a draft work plan (research programme proposal) was prepared and approved by the workshop participants, and this is soon to be published . Some of the suggested research activities included study of the altitude-specific interrelations between socioeconomic conditions and ecological and hydrological characteristics required to develop concepts for sustainable mountain development and study of hydrological and ecological processes and interactions along altitudinal gradients in mountain areas dependent upon land surface characteristics.

For more information, contact:
Professor. S. R. Chalise, ICIMOD

SOME UPCOMING ICIMOD SEMINARS AND WORKSHOPS

Regional Workshop on Conservation and Management of Yak Genetic Diversity

This workshop, co-sponsored and organised by ICIMOD and the FAO Regional Office in Bangkok, Thailand, will be held from October 29 - 31, 1996, in Kathmandu, Nepal, and will bring together 20 yak specialists from yak-raising areas in Asia. One of the main objectives of this workshop is to determine the critical issues in the conservation and management of yak genetic diversity.

Regional Expert Meeting on Rangelands and Pastoral Development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas

This expert meeting, organised and sponsored by ICIMOD, will be held from November 5 - 7, 1996 in Kathmandu, Nepal, and will involve 15 rangeland, forage, and pastoral development specialists from ICIMOD’'s member countries.

For further information, contact:
Mr. D. J. Miller, ICIMOD


ANNOUNCEMENT

Consultants needed for the Four Great Rivers Nature Reserve in Tibet, China

1. Consultant on Master Plan Formulation: to work with the designated officials and selected master plan team in creating the Master Plan for the newly-proposed Four Great Rivers Nature Reserve in eastern Tibet, China
2. Consultant on Forestry Planning: to work with designated officials and selected master an team to create a forest management plan team to create a forestry component plan to the overall Master Plan for the Reserve

For more information, contact:
Dr. Daniel Taylor-Ide, President
Future Generations, Franklin
WV 26807, USA
Tel:(304) 358-2000,Fax:(304) 358-3008
Email: daniel@future.org


PUBLICATIONS

1. ‘'Bhutan: Aspects of Culture and Development’' - Edited by Michael Hutt, Kisdale Publications, Oxford 1994

2. ‘'Biogeography and Ecology of Turkmenistan’' - Edited by Victor Fet and
Khabibulla I. Atamuradov, Kluwer Academic Publishers, Dordprecht/Boston/London 1994

3. ‘'Regions at Risk: Comparisons of Threatened Environments’' - UNU Press Book

4. ‘'Karakoram Himalaya: Sourcebook for a Protected Area’' - Nigel J. R. Allen - IUCN, The World Conservation Union, Pakistan 1995

5. ‘'Society and Culture in the Himalayas’' - Edited by K. Warikoo, Issued under the auspices of the Himalayan Research and Cultural Foundation, Har-Anand Publications 1995


READERS’S MAIL

· • Dr. K. G. Tejwani, Director, Land Use Consultants (International), New Delhi, India, writes:

"I was glad to receive the APMN Bulletin No. 1. Congratulations on establishing the Asia Pacific Mountain Network. I wish you success in your endeavours."

· • Professor Bruno Messerli of the University of Bern, Switzerland, writes:

"My congratulations for the APMN for the Bulletin Vol. 1. I am very impressed that you took this initiative, especially for the Pacific Rim...I am also very happy and enthusiastic about ICIMOD becoming an international focal point not only for the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, but also for the whole Asia Pacific region."


REQUEST

If you have any interesting information on mountain development in Asia or case studies or publications, or wish to participate in the APMN, write to the address below.

Dr. Mahesh Banskota
Coordinator, APMN
Deputy Director General, ICIMOD
G. P. O. Box - 3226
Kathmandu, Nepal
TEL: 977 1 525313
FAX: 977 1 524509/524317
Email: banskota@icimod.org.np OR mforum@icimod.org.np


The APMN Bulletin is brought to you by the APMN Secretariat at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).