This open access volume is the first comprehensive assessment of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH)
region. It comprises important scientific research on the social economic and environmental
pillars of sustainable mountain development and will serve as a basis for evidence-based
decision-making to safeguard the environment and advance people's well-being. The compiled
content is based on the collective knowledge of over 300 leading researchers experts and
policymakers brought together by the Hindu Kush Himalayan Monitoring and Assessment Programme
(HIMAP) under the coordination of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
(ICIMOD). This assessment was conducted between 2013 and 2017 as the first of a series of
monitoring and assessment reports under the guidance of the HIMAP Steering Committee: Eklabya
Sharma (ICIMOD) Atiq Raman (Bangladesh) Yuba Raj Khatiwada (Nepal) Linxiu Zhang (China)
Surendra Pratap Singh (India) Tandong Yao (China) and David Molden (ICIMOD and Chair of the
HIMAP SC). This First HKH Assessment Report consists of 16 chapters which comprehensively
assess the current state of knowledge of the HKH region increase the understanding of various
drivers of change and their impacts address critical data gaps and develop a set of
evidence-based and actionable policy solutions and recommendations. These are linked to nine
mountain priorities for the mountains and people of the HKH consistent with the Sustainable
Development Goals. This book is a must-read for policy makers academics and students
interested in this important region and an essentially important resource for contributors to
global assessments such as the IPCC reports.
