https://www.scmp.com/rss/523719/feed The latest news and top stories on the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). A Nepal-based intergovernmental research and development organisation, ICIMOD is dedicated to fostering sustainable mountain development and improving livelihoods in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. Its main areas of focus include climate change adaptation, environmental management, disaster risk reduction and water resource management. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Accelerating glacial retreat in the Himalayas over the past decades is threatening over 2 billion people in the region who depend on meltwater from the “water tower of Asia” for their daily needs, according to climate scientists. Glaciers in the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region have been losing ice at twice the rate since 2000, with smaller glaciers under 0.5 sq km shrinking more rapidly than larger ones, according to two landmark reports published on Saturday to coincide with the World Day for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/health-environment/article/3347298/himalayas-glacier-loss-threatens-2-billion-people-greatest-problem-climate-change?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 21 Mar 2026 07:00:10 +0000 Bibek Bhandari Bibek Bhandari Nepal is preparing to open one of its last untouched frontiers for foreigners by slashing the costly permit to enter Upper Mustang, a rugged plateau of ochre cliffs, hidden valleys and centuries-old Buddhist heritage. The government has announced plans to replace the flat US$500 charge for a 10-day stay with a daily US$50 rate, a shift that tourism entrepreneurs believe will make the destination more accessible and help drive the local economy. “We have been lobbying to reduce the permit fee for... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334579/nepal-slashes-pricey-permit-boost-tourism-economy-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/lifestyle-culture/article/3334579/nepal-slashes-pricey-permit-boost-tourism-economy-whats-catch?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 30 Nov 2025 08:00:28 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse Rescuers in Nepal and India on Monday scrambled to deliver emergency aid after days of torrential rain triggered landslides and floods that have killed more than 70 people, officials said. The downpours, which began on Friday, have now eased, but rescue teams are still struggling to reach several cut-off areas with roads blocked and bridges washed away. Monsoon rains, usually from June to September, bring widespread death and destruction every year across South Asia, but the number of fatal... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327934/landslides-and-floods-kill-64-nepal-and-india-after-torrential-rains?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3327934/landslides-and-floods-kill-64-nepal-and-india-after-torrential-rains?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 05 Oct 2025 17:02:05 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Each year from June to September, a series of heavy rains known as monsoons sweep through the Indian subcontinent, providing relief from heat, irrigating the country’s farms and replenishing its rivers. However, as global heat increases, the rain is becoming more erratic and intense, creating the conditions for deadly floods. Nearly 1,300 people died in India last year due to heavy rain and floods. Hundreds of rain-related deaths have already occurred this year in the South Asian region – which... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317627/south-asias-fatal-floods-caused-extreme-rainfall-linked-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317627/south-asias-fatal-floods-caused-extreme-rainfall-linked-global-warming?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 10 Jul 2025 03:33:27 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The Himalayan village of Samjung did not die in a day. Perched in a wind-carved valley in Nepal’s Upper Mustang, more than 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above sea level, the Buddhist village lived by slow, deliberate rhythms – herding yaks and sheep and harvesting barley under sheer ochre cliffs honeycombed with “sky caves” – 2,000-year-old chambers used for ancestral burials, meditation and shelter. Then the water dried up. Snow-capped mountains turned brown and barren as, year after year,... https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317053/nepalese-villagers-flow-new-settlement-after-water-dries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/asia/south-asia/article/3317053/nepalese-villagers-flow-new-settlement-after-water-dries?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 05 Jul 2025 00:36:30 +0000