Dear Mountain Forum-Asia members and e-conference participants,

It is my great pleasure to welcome you all to this electronic conference on 'Renewable Energy Technologies (RETs) for Mountain Areas of the Asia-Pacific Region.'

Energy, as you know, particularly fuel for cooking and warmth, is central to life in mountain regions. Without warmth it would be impossible to live and work in harsh mountain environments and fuel for cooking is central to the lives of mountain people. Thehearth fire symbolises all that is sacred about traditional family
values and is indeed a symbol of family bonds and the nourishment that sustains life.

Energy also is central to all economic development. Mountain people living in isolated areas far from electricity grids and petroleum or gas distribution centers need alternatives that they can manage and harness for improving their livelihoods and growing their economies. This requires access to appropriate technologies, and often even more importantly, supporting government policies and institutions.

For these reasons the Asia Pacific Mountain Network (APMN), a project of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development funded by the Swiss Development Co-operation as the Asian/Pacific node of the Mountain Forum network, is holding this electronic conference.

As the Director General of ICIMOD, I am gratified at the numbers of people who have chosen to participate and the expertise that is available to us in terms of moderation of each week's topic. Thank you all for joining in this conference. I am sure that it will have a fruitful and helpful outcome.


Yours sincerely,

J. Gabriel Campbell
Director General
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)