Thirty years ago, 8 countries of the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan) realized the importance of mountains and established the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). With an 8-country charter, ICIMOD serves as a regional intergovernmental center for cooperation on the sustainable development of the Hindu Kush–Himalayan region. ICIMOD believes in a future in which the region's mountain people can experience enhanced livelihoods, equity, and social and environmental security; in which they can adapt to environmental, socioeconomic, and climate change; and in which generations of mountain and downstream populations can enjoy the benefits and opportunities afforded by the region's natural endowment. ICIMOD foresees a future in which the role of the region, as the water tower for more than a billion people, a cultural and spiritual hub, the home of global biodiversity hotspots, a significant ecological buffer zone, and a source of resources and services for mountain and lowland people, is upheld, valued, and recognized globally and regionally.
