|
|
|
Mountain ecosystems provide benefits (ecological, socio-cultural, and economic) to human society, but their importance is not fully understood
. Under the European Union-funded Rural Livelihoods and Climate Change Adaptation in the Himalayas (Himalica) initiative, the Royal Society for Protection of Nature (RSPN) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) carried out a study to understand the state and dynamics of major ecosystems in Barshong, Bhutan, and their value for communities. The results will help plan development strategies. Methodolog
Read More
|
|
The Bhutan Geospatial Portal, the county’s first national portal for geospatial information, was developed collaboratively by the Centre for GIS Coordination (CGISC) and the National Land Commission (NLC), Bhutan, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
. The portal serves as a one-stop gateway for users across Bhutan to discover, access, and share geospatial data and information. It takes Bhutan a step closer to fulfilling its vision of setting up coordinated national spatial data infrastructure
Read More
|
|
Bhutan, one of eight regional member countries of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), is experiencing urban expansion, increased demand for agricultural land, and other developmental pressures
. To address these issues, ICIMOD and its partners are developing a harmonized land cover monitoring system to assess changes in land cover and use to help conserve biodiversity, to manage natural resources, and to protect the environment. This is also important for developing sustainable livelihoods, particularly for rural communities
Read More
|
|
Background The Cryosphere Monitoring Programme Bhutan (CMP–B) carries out annual field monitoring on the benchmark Thana glacier, collects and analysis data from automatic weather stations and hydrological monitoring stations in selected research sites downstream
. CMP–B also monitors glacial lakes and assesses socio-economic vulnerability in the Punatsang Chu basin. It produces remote sensing data, analyses, and inventories on the cryosphere for the entire Bhutan Himalaya. The programme is funded by the Government of Norway and implemented by the National Center for Hydrology and Meteorology (NCHM) and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)
Read More
|
|
|
|
• A biomass equation was used to quantify the total above-ground tree carbon in Bhutan
. • Biomass was sampled from four identified zones, with at least 32 trees per species. • Currently, 20 biomass equations have been developed, with eight conifer species, 10 broadleaved species, and two general equations. • The target is to develop equations for 50 tree species in Bhutan.
Read More
|
|
The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are home to the largest reserve of snow and ice outside the North and South Poles
. In an area sixty-thousand kilometres square, the HKH contains approximately 54,000 glaciers, 6,000 km3 of ice, and 0.76 million km2 of snow cover. Ten rivers basins begin the HKH and they provide water, food, energy, and ecosystem services to more than 1.3 billion people in South Asia
Read More
|
|
|
|
|