Asian WATMANET

The Asian WATMANET(Water Management Network) was launched in 1994 to fulfill the objectives of the UNDP/FAO `Watershed Management in the Tropics and Upper Himalayas' subprogramme of the Farmer-centred Agricultural Resources' Management programme. It is a regional network of 13 Asian countries for people's participation in watershed management and evolved out of widespread concern for the increasing deterioration of watersheds in this region. In addition to regional networking, it also initiates and assists grass root-level farmers' networks and national WATMANETs. The watershed management approach adopted by the Asian WATMANET integrates all the watershed resources.

The objectives of the Asian WATMANET are to support farmers' organisation networks for watershed management at the village, district, and national levels; to facilitate the exchange of information and experience at all levels; to strengthen partnerships between government and non-government organisations, people's or farmers' organisations for sustainable natural resources' management of the fragile watersheds in the Asian region, and to publish a quarterly regional newsletter to close the gap in participatory water management literature.

In April 1996, a Regional Expert Consultation cum Advisory Committee Meeting was organised in Kathmandu by PWMTA to identify gaps in participatory watershed management education and training in Asia. At this Consultation, the national focal points decided to launch national WATMANETs to encourage people's participation in water management for sustainable natural resources' management and poverty alleviation on a small watershed basis for human development. These national WATMANETs are now being initiated by the PWMTA to fulfill national level, needs since there are very few national training institutions giving training in participatory watershed management.

With the help of focal points and its dynamic membership, the Asian WATMANET achieved a great deal: field-level demonstrations in innovative models of WM/NRM through farmers' organisation network building at farm demonstration watersheds; action research and studies on watershed management-related issues; and regional workshops, training programmes, and information exchange through field documents, the Asian WATMANET newsletters, and so on. Two WATMANET membership directories have also been published and distributed.

For further information, contact:
Prem N. Sharma
FAO(UN), PO Box 25, U.N. Building, Pulchowk
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel/Fax: 977-1-225144

Established in 1977 and based in Aleppo, Syria, the International Centre for Agricultural Research in the Dry Areas (ICARDA) is one of the 16 centres supported by the Consultative Group on International Agricultural Research. ICARDA's mission is to improve the welfare of the people of this region through agricultural research and training in the dry areas and by increasing the production, productivity, and nutritional quality of food to more sustainable levels, while preserving or improving the resource base.

ICARDA's Regional Highland Programme began in 1990. Rapid population increase and food deficit are common areas of concern throughout these regions. Some of ICARDA's activities include germ plasm resource management, watershed management, rangeland rehabilitation, livestock management, training, and information sharing. ICARDA is also part of a research continuum consisting of Advanced NARS and NARS of developing countries.

Much of ICARDA's research is carried out on a 948-hectare farm at its headquarters at Tel Hadya, about 35km southwest of Aleppo. It also manages other sites where it tests materials under a variety of agroecological conditions in Syria and Lebanon. However, the full scope of its activities can be appreciated only when the cooperative research carried out with many countries in West Asia and North Africa is taken into account.

The challenges facing agricultural and natural resources in the West Asian and North African countries are tremendous. These challenges must be faced because agricultural development will not only fill food consumption gaps in the future but will also encourage overall development and job creation; it is an imperative for poverty alleviation.

In Turkey, ICARDA's programme focusses on the development of technology for highland areas. The main areas of concern in this programme are rangelands, which are rapidly degrading due to overgrazing and lack of management efforts; livestock; forestry; and crop diversification. A range of training programmes from residential courses to advanced research opportunities is offered. These are supported by seminars, publications, and specialised information services.

Dr. S.P. Beniwal
ICARDA, PO Box 5466, Aleppo, Syria
Tel: (963-21)213433
Fax: (963-21)213490

On the third day of the APMN Coordinators' Consultation, the participants held working group discussions on the subregional programmes, initiatives, and activities. These discussions included the preparation of a workplan for each focal point. The proposals given below are those presented by the working groups after these discsussions.

The Northeast Asian and Australia/Pacific Focal Points proposed that participation in the APMN should be broad-based, both geographically and culturally, and that expansion of focal points should take the form of identification of national contact persons or organisations. The key issues in the Australia/Pacific subregion are the environmental responsibility of big businesses; land tenure; micro-economic viability versus easy development money; political, institutional, and NGO relationships; research, conservation, and sustainable development (SD) funding; and intellectual property rights.

The key issues facing the Northeast Asian Subregion are inadequate understanding of the research being carried out in mountainous areas; the need to evaluate mountain programmes and government policies in mountain areas; the role of mountain areas as a buffer to the lowlands; and the problem of language.

Some of the activities proposed for Australia/Pacific include the promotion of electronic conferences on the issue of big-business stewardship; review of existing initiatives; research briefs on micro-economic promotion; workshops on community project evaluation; and identification of the issues and scope of proposals on biodiversity issues. Better network coverage and promotion of exchange visits are also planned over the next two years.

The activities planned for the Northeast Asian Focal Point are identification of mountain research activities in the area, production of a booklet on research issues and activities, and a subregional meeting. Both internal linkages, with the Mountain Forum and an e-mail based advisory committee of focal point coordinators, and external linkages, such as those with the Asian WATMANET and ICARDA, will be strongly supported and promoted by both focal points.

The objectives of each subregional APMN focal point, as proposed by the Southeast Asian and Hindu Kush-Himalayan focal points, should be to develop an information base; to facilitate information flow; to provide a policy interface; to bridge the information gap between practitioners and policy-makers; and to undertake a monitoring role.

Some of the operational issues identified by this group include gaps in information flow; lack of appropriate communications mechanisms; language barriers; and the limited resources of focal points. The thematic issues include sustainable development; highland-lowland linkages; resource generation and conservation; gender; in- and out-migration; marginality and inaccessibility; need to build on local traditional knowledge; preservation of cultural heritage; appropriate technologies; social infrastructure; land use; forestry; tourism; social harmony; and appropriate communications' mechanisms.

The structure of the APMN, as proposed by this group, should be a four-tier one consisting of the Secretariat, the Subregional Focal Points, Country Focal Points, and Members. However, this structure should be non-hierarchical and information should flow both horizontally and diagonally.

Coordination of membership activities; promotion of the network in the region; synthesis of subregional issues; and identification of appropriate mechanisms would be the primary functions of the subregional focal points.

Linkages with the Mountain Forum, as well as with other networks and organisations, are both desirable and necessary. On the resource mobilisation front, some possible sources could be willing donor agencies, ongoing regional projects, membership fees, sale of priced publications, and industrial sponsorships.

The principal issues in both these regions are lack of government attention and support, inadequate research and knowledge, communication barriers, low literacy levels, physical barriers, lack of coordination among agencies working in these areas, and lack of access to existing knowledge.

In terms of the structure of the APMN, open membership and the establishment of subfocal points within the different countries were proposed by these focal points. Activities planned are the translation and dissemination of the APMN bulletin, subregional meetings, information exchange with the APMN Secretariat, generation of local databases, awareness raising, and resource mobilisation.

Participation in the Mountain Forum electronic conferences and contribution to the Mountain Forum resources' database are also planned. Links with other groups and networks will also be forged as well as the compilation of information on organisations and individuals working in the mountain areas of the region.

It is a widely-held belief that the women of Myanmar have historically enjoyed a relatively progressive and egalitarian socio-legal status compared to their peers in other developing countries. Gender discrimination is minimal in terms of the social (health, education) and economic (material monetary, etc) benefits bestowed upon offsprings by parents.

Women have equal rights to men in traditional Myanmar culture and custom as well as by provision in successive state constitutions. The system of one husband, one wife and respect for the dignity and value of mother and sister are social obligations which are practised by the family. Women of marriagable age are free to marry the husband of their choice. Upon marriage, a woman becomes the `mistress of the household' and, thereafter, manages the home.

The status of women is high in traditional Myanmar culture and custom. "One load on the man's shoulder, one load on the woman's head" is a local saying that expresses gender equality. In Myanmar, by Buddhist custom if not by law, if a woman of Buddhist faith marries a person of another race or faith, she can retain her name or change it depending upon her preference.

Current patterns of female enrollment in schools show a very positive picture of education for women. While girls lag slightly behind boys in primary school enrollment as well as secondary school enrollment, young women predominate in institutions providing higher education. The sex ratio is 94 females to 100 males at the primary and middle school levels. At the higher education level, it is 120.

There is a tendency for girls to drop out of primary school, as mothers are dependent on girl children for caring for their siblings. Compared to many developing countries, in Myanmar, the social norms allow women a great deal of physical mobility. Although constrained by domestic work and childcare, no restrictions are placed on their participation in outside work. This is demonstrated by the presence of women in agricultural fields, small textile and lacquer manufacturing units, and local markets in rural and urban areas. Nevertheless, women's labour force participation and ability to participate in income-generating activities are limited because of the heavy workloads they already carry on account of their responsibilities for domestic work.

The gender-based division of labour places an undue burden on women. Men acknowledge the fact that women's workloads are heavier than theirs. Men are responsible for land preparation, irrigation, fertilizer application, and marketing. Although preparation of the land for agriculture is undertaken mostly by men, shortages of family labour often compel women to assist men in this activity as well. Women are commonly responsible for sowing, paddy transplanting, weeding, harvesting, and processing. They also develop and maintain home gardens and market the products.

Both men and women are responsible for collecting fuelwood and non-timber forest products. Timber is collected by men and women share the tasks of stall feeding, watering, cleaning the sheds, and fetching fodder. Moreover, they are responsible for fetching the water, cooking, and caring for the children. In some situations, women have limited access and control over land and other means of agricultural production. However, they usually have access to and control of the income from farming activities.

Women in Myanmar have played a strong role in commerce and marketing with no cultural inhibitions whatsoever preventing them from assuming a leading and active economic role in the family. Some cultural taboos do exist, however, in certain types of work in which women do not play a major role, e.g., forestry, mining and related industries. Most of the community activities are also carried out by men and women participate only when the men are absent.

This forthcoming article by Greta Rana, Senior Editor at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, Nepal describes the efforts expended in women's development in Nepal post 1950 and up to the period of the Seventh Five Year Plan, from the perspective of an awakening to political participation which later became involvement in income-generating activities backed by welfare initiatives.

Efforts by various women's organisations, donors, and projects to improve the conditions of women were immersed in welfare activities with some income-generating components from early on in this period. The conclusion is that women's development philosophies have a long way to go before women achieve the equal status that is their right and that the current economic (monetary) perspectives are not the correct value system for the 21st Century.

This article will be published in Sahabhagita, published by the Local Development Training Academy, Jawalakhel, Lalitpur, Nepal.

For more information, contact: Greta Rana
Senior Editor, ICIMOD, GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977 1 525313
Fax: 977 1 524509, 977 1 536747
Email: greta@icimod.org.np

The International Conference "Mountain Research: Challenges and Prospects in the Twenty-first Century" was held in Bishkek, the capital of the Kyrgyz Republic, from 14th to 18th October 1996. The work of the Conference was organised around the main branches of science dealing with research in the area of mountain ecosystems: earth sciences; the natural sciences; medicine; economics; education; and communications' systems and exchange of information.

During this important event in the cultural life of the region, leading scholars from Europe, Asia, and North America discussed a wide range of issues directly related to the vital activities of present-day people living in mountainous areas. Such issues included: human adaptation to Alpine conditions, the general pathology and curative properties of the mountain climate, distinctive features of the social environment and mentality of mountain peoples, and economic development and demographic stability in mountain regions. A broad discussion was held on such earth science problems as the geomechanics of natural disasters occurring in mountain ecosystems; glaciology and water resources; the mountain climate and atmospheric changes; and the geodynamics and metallogeny of minerals.

The participants focussed on vital natural science issues: the biodiversity of wildlife; limnology and the chemistry of water/snow; mountain flora; land and land utilisation in Alpine conditions; and environmental protection issues. Considerable interest was raised by the discussion of such problems of communications and information systems and experiences in setting up and using Internet in the region, the creation of a regional information infrastructure, the use of the international information network, and the establishment of a regional data-transmission network.

"Thus, the solution of the problem of the unity of the social organism and the alpine environment must be seen in the complex inter-relationship of the conditions faced by humans living outside the `economic comfort zone'."

The participants recognised that the vital activities of people living in mountain regions involved much greater social and economic costs than activities in the lowlands. In Alpine conditions, all physical phenomena are different: the power of internal combustion engines is reduced, tension in power lines decreases, and the costs of supplying energy and foodstuffs are higher.

The probability of earthquakes results in increased costs of construction and other preventative measures. The participants noted the reverse impact of human intervention in the environment. Experiences from geotechnical facilities built in mountain regions in the second half of the twentieth century show that, in a number of cases, they have caused highly dangerous natural and technology-induced situations. Thus, the solution of the problem of the unity of the social organism and the Alpine environment must be seen in the complex inter-relationship of the conditions faced by humans living outside the `economic comfort zone'. We consider it expedient that the General Assembly support the decision of the Conference and proclaim the year 2000 as the `International Year of the Mountains'.

- Explanatory Memorandum to Letter dated 30 January 1997 from the Permanent Representative of the Kyrgyz Republic to the United Nations addressed to the Secretary-General of the United Nations

Progress in the implementation of the decisions and recommendations made by the Commission for Sustainable Development at its third session - Report of the Secretary-General - Chapter 13 of Agenda 21: "Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development"

In accordance with the recommendation of the Commission on Sustainable Development related to Chapter 13 of Agenda 21, according to which the Commission urged interested Governments and organisations, including the private sector, to promote initiatives aimed at raising awareness as well as convening regional and intergovernmental consultations; FAO, in its role as task manager, has initiated, in cooperation with host countries and concerned organisations, the convening of several such meetings:

a) in Asia: the regional intergovernmental consultation, entitled `Sustainable Development of Fragile Mountain Areas of Asia', was held in Kathmandu, Nepal, 13-15 December, 1994;

b) in Latin America: the `Regional Intergovernmental Consultation on Sustainable Mountain Development' took place in Lima, Peru, 8-11 August 1995;

c) in Europe: the organisational processes began in 1995 for (i) the `European Intergovernmental Consultation on Sustainable Mountain Development, which was scheduled in two sessions for 1996, the first in Aviemore, Scotland, 23-26 April, and the second in Trento, Italy, during the week of 7th October and (ii) the `European Non-governmental Organisation Consultation on Sustainable Mountain Development', held in Toulouse, France, 4-6 July 1996; and

d) in Africa: the `Regional Intergovernmental Consultation on Sustainable Mountain Development' was held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 3-7 June 1996.

Following the outcome of the `Non-governmental Organisation Consultation on the Mountain Agenda', held in Lima, Peru, in February 1995, an Initial Organising Committee meeting was held in West Virginia, United States of America, in September 1995 to establish the Mountain Forum, a network intended to include interested non-governmental organisations and governmental organisations, the purpose of which is to provide a forum for mutual support and the exchange of ideas and experiences among people with respect to raising mountain-related issues in local, national, and international agendas and to promote policies and actions for equitable and ecologically sustainable mountain development.

A broad-based collaborative effort is under way to develop a set of guidelines for sustainable development in mountain areas, focussing on national-level planning needs. This activity is based on work initiated by the task manager for chapter 13 of Agenda 21, involving the inter-agency network on mountains. The work is continuing in a fully collaborative manner, involving Governments, intergovernmental organisations, and non-governmental organisations, with The Mountain Institute, in its current capacity as convener of the Interim Facilitating Committee of the Mountain Forum, having been designated to coordinate the formulation of guidelines.

Existing guidelines for national-level planning in forestry, environment, conservation, and other areas are being taken fully into account to avoid duplicating efforts where adequate planning tools already exist. This work is, therefore, intended to be complementary to existing guidelines by addressing planning needs specific to mountain development issues. Such efforts are expected to facilitate formulation of comprehensive national and/or local mountain development programmes.

The regional intergovernmental consultations held for Asia and Latin America have served to reaffirm the commitment of the governments of these regions to giving greater emphasis at the national level to the promotion of sustainable mountain development and the need to initiate new action in priority fields identified in both global and regional forums. Proposals have already been made at country level for project support to strengthen institutional capacities to carry out mountain development; to assessing and monitor the flow of resources to and from mountain areas; and to reduce poverty levels among mountain communities through income-generating activities.

FAO, as the task manager for Chapter 13 of Agenda 21, has prepared a draft list of indicators for sustainable mountain development within the framework of the programme on sustainable development indicators adopted by the Commission on Sustainable Development. Further work in this area is expected to include a wide range of inputs from other international organisations and governments.

For more information, contact the CSD Secretariat:
Room DC2-2220, United Nations, New York, NY 10017
Tel: (212) 963-3170 Fax: (212) 963-4260
http://www.un.org/DPCSD

PARKS was relaunched in 1994 to great acclaim. Published by the Commission on National Parks and Protected Areas (CNPPA) of IUCN - The World Conservation Union, PARKS aims to strengthen international collaboration among protected area professionals and to improve their role, status, and activities. PARKS is the leading global forum for information on issues relating to protected area establishment and management.

Each issue of PARKS focusses on a particular theme. For example, Vol. 6 includes:

Biodiversity, sustainable development, ecotourism ... PARKS puts protected areas at the forefront of contemporary environmental issues. It is published three times a year, in February, June and October, and is produced and managed on behalf of CNPPA by the Nature Conservation Bureau Ltd. ISSN: 0960-233X. Back issues are available individually (out of print issues are supplied as photocopies).

To subscribe, or to obtain further details, contact the PARKS office: 36 Kingfisher Court, Hambridge Road, Newbury, RG14 5SJ, UK. Tel: +44 1635 550380 Fax: +44 1635 550230
Email: parks@naturebureau.co.uk

Third International Conference on Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories, Vladikavkaz, September 1998.

In accordance with the recommendation of the UN Conference on Environment and Development (Rio de Janeiro, 1992) and the decision of the Second International Conference, `Security and Ecology of Mountain Territories' (Vladikavkaz, 1995), the Third International Conference on Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories,Vladikavkaz, September 1998 Organizing Committee wishes to inform you about the Third International Conference, "Sustainable Development of Mountain Territories", to be held in Vladikavkaz in September 1998.

Frolov K.B.
President of the Organizing Committee of the Conference
Moscow 101830, Russia
Fax: (095) 200 42 39, 135 77 69

EARTH SUMMIT+5 EVENTS: Special Session of the General Assembly to Review and Appraise the Implementation of Agenda 21, New York, 24 February-7 March, 7-25 April, 23-27 June 1997

In 1992, over 100 Heads of State met in Rio de Janeiro for the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED), also known as the Earth Summit. In Rio, Agenda 21, a 300 page plan for achieving sustainable development in the 21st century, was adopted. Chapter 13 of Agenda 21 is `Managing Fragile Ecosystems: Sustainable Mountain Development'.

Also in Rio, the Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD) was created to monitor and report on implementation of the Earth Summit agreements. It was agreed that a five-year review of Earth Summit progress would be made in 1997 by the United Nations General Assembly meeting in special session. This special session of the UN General Assembly will take stock of how well countries, international organisations, and sectors of civil society have responded to the challenge of the Earth Summit. Agenda 21 in its entirety, including Chapter 13, the Mountain Agenda, will be reviewed at a series of events at the UN headquarters in New York.

Prepared by the Mountain Agenda, an informal group of people with professional interests in sustainable mountain development, drawn from the academic and development cooperation communities, `Mountains of the World: Challenges for the Twenty First Century' is a comprehensive policy document for the CSD and Special UN Assembly, June 1997, `Five Years After Rio'. An excerpt is given below.

There are three priorities that must be attained, at least in part, if there is to be any chance for sustainable mountain development to be realised during the 21st Century.

"The recent developments of world trade liberalisation and a free market economy actually accentuate the competitive disadvantage of the mountain regions."

Mountains and Highlands are extremely complex, both biophysically and culturally. Their threedimensional character, worldwide occurrence, and political fragmentation, together with their significant area and population (approximately 25 per cent of the world's land area and 10 per cent of the total human population), demonstrate their centrality in terms of the prospects for a secure, humane, and prosperous world society. So far, while acquiring some lip service after the Rio Earth Summit in 1992, these `mountain imperatives' have not been incorporated into the new approaches to sustainable development, the global market, nor world environmental policy. The recent developments of world trade liberalisation and a freemarket economy actually accentuate the competitive disadvantage of the mountain regions.

Mountains and highlands, as marginal and marginalised regions, throughout the ages and increasingly toward the end of our millennium, have usually incurred exploitation by the power centres of the economically and politically better integrated lowlands. This has taken the form of damaging, and often ruthless, extraction of natural resources that has resulted in further marginalisation of mountain peoples and their comparative neglect during times of natural and manmade disasters. The past 50year record of bilateral and multilateral `aid' and `assistance' is characterised by topdown imposition of `solutions' from outside the mountains. Some of the results of this, despite many real advances, have been the loss of self esteem, disregard of centuries of accumulated traditional understanding of how to live in difficult and fragile environments, and collapse, or severe modification, of mountain cultures.

Even though this situation is in process of being reversed, especially since Rio, such progress is being overwhelmed by the growing impacts of warfare in its many forms. The majority of ongoing and recent armed conflicts in the world impact mountain peoples and mountain lands out of all proportion to their total numbers and land area. The socalled `drug war' is merely an extension of this shame of armed conflict that disproportionately devastates mountain peoples. The massive displacement of anywhere from 15 to 30 million refugees across international borders, very often in mountainous regions, adds to the alarming spread of malnutrition and disease.

In this instance, a revolution in political behaviour is imperative: within the UN and amongst the socalled rich nations who claim to provide leadership for world peace. A failure to achieve a virtual world revolution a real new world order will purchase an enormous penalty, for any collapse of mountain cultures and their environments and resources will have inexorable downstream impacts."

Dr. Bruno Messerli
University of Bern, Institute of Geography
Hallestrasse 12, CH-3012, Bern, Switzerland
Tel: 031 631 8019 Fax: 031 631 8511
Email: messerli@giub.unibe.ch

The Pamirs, a region of high mountains and valleys in central Asia, sometimes called "the roof of the world," form the core of several of the highest ranges on Earth-the Hindu Kush, the Kunlun Mountains, the Karakoram Range, and the Tian Shan (Tien Shan).

Most of the area lies in Tajikistan, but it extends into northeastern Afghanistan and Xinjiang (Sinkiang) province, China. The average elevation exceeds 4,000m, and the highest point is atop K2 (Godwin Austen). Geologically complex, the Pamirs contain rocks of the Precambrian, Paleozoic, and Mesozoic eras. More than 1,000 glaciers cover an area of 8,042sq.km. Because of the severely cold and arid climate, vegetation is sparse. Tajiks raise sheep and goats in the lower valleys and farm the small plots of arable land.Crossed by Marco Polo in 1271, the Pamirs were first explored by the Russian A.P. Fedchenko, in 1871. In the 1930s, a warm-weather highway traversing the region was built.

The Tian Shan (Chinese, `celestial mountains') extend 3,000km from Kyrgyzstan northeast through the Xinjiang (Sinkiang) region of western China to the Mongolian frontier. The Gissar-Alai, Zhu-Ili, Karatau, K'a-erh-li-k'o, and Junggar-Alatau mountains all belong to the Tian Shan, of which the highest point, Pobeda Peak on the Kyrgyzstan-Xinjiang border, reaches 7,444m. Principal rivers of the range include the Zhu, Ili, Naryn, Sarydzhaz, and Zeravshan. Temperatures in the foothills vary from -4o to 27oC and at higher altitudes from -23o to 5oC. The Kirghiz, Uighur, and Chinese who inhabit the mountains maintain an economy based on agriculture and the herding of horses, sheep, and cattle. Copper, lead, zinc, mercury, antimony, and tungsten are mined.

The Kunlun Mountains (K'un-lun Shan), the longest mountain chain in Asia, extend over 2,400km between the Himalayas to the south and the Tian Shan to the north. Their western edge is the Pamirs, in Tajikistan, as they stretch eastward through Tibet to Qinghai (Tsinghai) province, China (where they end), they become broader and higher.

The highest peak, Ulugh Muztagh, which reaches 7,774 m, is in Tibet. Although the main system was formed about 230 million years ago, seismic activity is common. The extremely arid climate results in hot desert at low altitudes and cold desert at the higher altitudes. Melting snow and glaciers during the summer months feed several major rivers, among them the Huang He (Hwang Ho, or Yellow River), the Mekong, and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze). The steep slopes, harsh environment, and high passes make access difficult, and the sparse population is concentrated in the river valleys.

The Karakoram Range, a high (mean elevation: 6,096m) mountain range in the Himalayas of Central Asia, extends 483km southeast from the Pamir Knot in northern Kashmir to southwestern Tibet.

The tallest peak, K2 (formerly Godwin Austen), is the second-highest mountain in the world. Young geologically, the Karakoram mountains emerged in the Cenozoic Era. Because of their steep slopes and alpine glaciers, the summits are almost inaccessible. The dry, harsh climate supports little vegetation or wildlife, but pastoral Tibetans inhabit the lower elevations.

If you have any interesting information, case studies or publications on mountain development in Asia that you wish to share, please write to:

Shahid Akhtar
APMN Coordinator and Head, Documentation, Information, and Training Service,
ICIMOD, GPO Box 3226,
Kathmandu, Nepal
Tel: 977 1 525313 Fax: 977 1 524509