Proceedings of the workshop on Invasive alien species in the Hindu Kush Himalaya: Setting management targets for the next decade

Invasive alien species  (IAS) are one of the major drivers of biodiversity loss across the globe. They affect natural ecosystems, agriculture, human health, and livelihoods. Invasion rate in mountain ecosystems in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) is likely to increase in the future, leading to greater biodiversity loss. Aichi Biodiversity Target 9 of the CBD stresses the need for IAS management. However, our review of Aichi Targets for the HKH reveals that little progress has been made to achieve this particular target.

We organized this webinar to share the current state of knowledge on IAS in the HKH and to present global perspectives on managing such invasive species. The webinar also explored the priorities for the Post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework on IAS, contribution to CBD CoP15 by highlighting issues and challenges related to IAS in mountain regions, particularly in the HKH, and suggesting priority actions for effective management of IAS.