An integrated multi-media CD-ROM was developed for four different watersheds in the Himalayan and four in the Andean mountain regions by a network of eight research teams. A common framework was used for the integration of all the key resource management issues and over 100 common indicators were used by each team to compare the watersheds. Much of the research was done using the Internet and the comparison showed that poverty, water and soil resource constraints are similar but land uses and management approaches are very different between the regions and the watersheds. Subsistence farmers in the Himalayan watersheds have much less land, greater population pressure and hence higher crop intensification and productivity than was found in the Andes. In contrast, the Andean farmers rely more on livestock production, have higher agro-biodiversity, higher milk production, and less access to forests. The results are used to improve communication amongst researchers working in remote mountain watersheds and to share knowledge on the different approaches used to overcome resource constraints. The project has been extremely cost-effective and is benefiting a wide range of development agencies. The plan is to expand this network and to develop a Global Mountain Watershed Network, where researchers and resource managers can share knowledge and experiences and work together on common approaches to alleviate poverty in mountains.
