© Copyright 1993
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
All rights reserved
Citation:
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, 1993. Annual Report 199::>
G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal
Typesetting: ICIMOD Publications' Unit
ISSN 1019·1356
Please direct all enquiries and comments to:
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
G.P.O. Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal
Telephone:
Fax:
(977-1)
(977-1)
525313
524509
Telex:
Cable:
2439 ICIMOD NP
ICIMOD, NEPAL
Table of Contents
Foreword
Introduction
Part I: Major Events of the Year
Highlights of Programme Activities
Part II: Thematic Research and Development Programmes
Programme I: Programme II: Programme III: Programme IV:
Mountain Farming Systems Mountain Population and Employment Mountain Infrastructure and Technology Mountain Environmental Management
Part III: Dissemination and Action Programmes
Programme V: Programme VI: Programme VII: Programme VIII:
Documentation and Infonnation Exchange Natural Resources' Assessment and Monitoring Area Development Planning and Implementation Institutional and Professional Development
Part IV: Information on Administration and Finance
The Board of Governors The Professional and Senior Administratiw Staft of ICIMOD Income and Expenditure Account (1985-1992) Auditors' Report for 1992
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Page
3
4
7
8 12 15 17
23
24 26 28 31
36 17 38 40
49
Foreword
One event of great interest for 1992 and beyond was the UNCED Conference on the Environment
and Development which took place in Rio de Janeiro in June. ICIMOD, together with the United
Nations' University (UNU) and the International Mountain Society (lMS), had launched a Mountain
Agenda to draw international attention to the problems and potentials of the mountains. The report
provided hy the UNCED Meeting reinforced ICIMOD's confidence in the issues it had selected as
heing the most pertinent to integrated mountain development. Not only are the areas of concern for
ICIMOD highlighted by Agenda 21, but its call for the establishment of a mountain knowledge bank
reinforces the very reasoning behind the establishment of the Centre.
From February 17th to 20th, 1992, an International Workshop was held in Kathmandu to discuss the
tindings and implications of Phases One and Two of the Mountain Off-farm Employment Project.
From June 1st to the 4th, 1992, a Seminar on Himalayan Community Forestry was held at Hattiban,
Kathmandu, under the auspices of the Mountain Farming Systems' Programme. The Seminar was
unique in its informal grassroots' style and in the frank exchanges between Indian and Nepalese
Foresters. In addition, joint workshops and seminars were held throughout the year in collaboration
with other institutions.
In 1992, a numher of changes took place at the Centre. These changes will hopefully have long-term
beneticial impacts on its ability to meet the challenges inherent in the field of integrated mountain
development. The Seventeenth Board Meeting of ICIMOD was held in Kathmandu from April 11th
to 15th, 1992. During the Meeting the Board approved the Centres's evaluation procedures and
established a Selection Committee for the recruitment of a Director of Programmes and of a Director
of Administration and Finance. The Selection Committee met several times and finalised its choices
on 26 June 1992. The Director of Programmes began work on the 1 st of July and the Director of
Administration on the 20th of August 1992. This heralded the start of a series of internal management
changes at ICIMOD, which hopefully will help complete the movement towards a decentralised
working style and internationalisation of the Centre's practices.
The year has been encouraging in terms of tinancial support also. In addition to the continuing core
support from our core donors (the governments of Germany, Switzerland, and Austria and the
ICIMOD member countries), the Government of the Netherlands provided funding for Institutional
Strengthening in Promoting Sustainable Farming Systems over a period of four years. The
International Research and Development Centre (lDRC), Canada, also supported two closely-linked
applied and action-research activities. Discussions with the European Commission, concerning
Mountain Risk Engineering Phase III, have been very encouraging and will hopefully lead to an
expansion of training activities in this important field. The Royal Government of Norway agreed to
provide funding for Design and Testing of a Regional Programme on Mini/Micro-hydropower for
Mountain Development on the 10th of December, 1992. Support from the Asian Development Bank
for Mountain Farming, Area Development, and GIS applications continued. The Ford Foundation
supported activities concluded this year but discussions on follow-up activities are proceeding.
Winding up where one started, with the UNCED Conference on the Environment and Development,
it is clear that the Centre has much to offer, buth within the Region and to other mountain regions
facing similar problems. As we look forward to 1993, we shall be making a concerted effort to reach
out into the HKH Region m the context of demonstration of practical applications of the knowledge
gained and in the context of sharing this knowledge with all those who need and can use it
E.F. Tacke
Director General
Introduction
t this point, looking back on 1992, and ~ we are about to enter the Centre's tenth anniversary year, ould be well to examine not only the whole of the previous year but the fundamental changes in
style that have occurred and are still occurring in rural communities, especially rural mountain munities."
1992, organisations and
oividuals everywhere were
lking about the environ
ent. Much discussion was
pcussed upon destruction to
e environment, population
tarrying capacity of the
and, mitigation of disasters,
~nd land use. Issues that
ave been in the forefront of
ICIMOD's concern.
Dr. E.F. Tacke: Director General
Where did all this leave
ICIMOD in 1992? On the
extremely important level of
the knowledge gained &ince
December 1983, this has
been a year in which the
sharing of that knowledge
increased suhstantially. This
has been evident in all of
ICIMOD's programme work
and in an increasing demand
for literature provided by
ICIMOD. At this point, looking back
on 1992, and as we are about to enter the Centre's tenth
anniversary year, it would be well to examine not only
the whole of the previous year but also the fundamental
changes in lifestyle that have occurred and are still
occurring in rural communities, especially rural mountain
communities. To meet the challenges of these changes
without destroying the social fabric has always been an
issue for human communities, whether they be from the
mountains or from the plains, and it has been a challenge:
t~tcing homo sapiens throughout the whole of hi.,
chequered history.
It should always be remembered, in discussing the w·;ues
of environment and development, that animals adapt to
the environment as they tind it, if they cannot adapt they
move or become extinct - a happening that has occurred
time and again throughout the millennia - man is the only
animal that adapts the environment to his needs. This is
a tactor that deserves to be remembered with due humility
when we discuss the burning issues of environment and
development which will, no doubt, remain with us well
into the 21 st century.
In the following pages we have traced the development
of ICIMOD programmes and their practical demonstration
in the tield. During the year, innovative workshops have
been held on agroforestry, agricultural technologies,
sustainable mountain agriculture, regional hydrology, and
off-farm employment. It is pleasing to note that the
success of these workshops lay not only in the innovative
ideas discussed and the quality of participation but also in
the fact that the management tor each of them was run in
cooperation with other organisations.
On the operations' Side, the structural changes that the
Centre underwent in 1992; starting with the appomtment
of the Director of Programmes and the Director of
Administration; contributed to the changes in working
style that were necessary in order to implement the
practical demonstrations referred to above. Subsequently,
the Board approved three appointments to the position of
Division Head. The Directors' contracts were for a four
year term and those of Division Heads for a three-year
term. This marked the beginning of an important
transition that the Centre had embarked upon following
the Quinquennial Review Report. Further changes will
take place, following the approval of the 18th Board
meeting (November 30th to December 1st) to the Centre's
introducing a modified U.N. pay scale and personnel
rules and regulations. Obviously this will lead to further
internationalisation of its fabric in terms of personnel and
operations.
We might say that movement, on the part of ICIMOD, in
1992, has been in two directions - internal and external;
internal movement took place in the Centre's management
structure and external movement })egan as ICIMOD's
programme began to reach out and put into effect
grassroots' applications of knowledge gained over eight
years of operation. Obviously, the Centre has gained in
institutional confidence, based on which it can begin to
offer longer term positions to its key professionals. None
of this would have been possible if 1992 had not been an
encouraging year financiall y. Continuing core support was
received from the governments of Germany, Switzerland,
and Austria, as well as from the ICIMOD member
countries. Without such support there would be far too
heavy a reliance on project funding and the Centre's long-
2
Mr. Ronald H. Dery assumed the position of Director ~
of Administration with effect from 20 August 1992. Mr. Dery is a U.S. national and has worked in similar capacities for the International Board for Plant Genetic Resources, the International Centre for Dian·hoeal Disease Research, and the FAO Fisheries' Department. He has had several years of work experience in both Bangladesh and Nepal.
term plans for institutional development and consolidation
would be hampered.
At this point, ICIMOD's ninth year, it goes without
saying that the Centre owes a great deal to all its donors.
Without their support and encouragement for ICIMOD
projects, the Centre would not be as strong as it is today.
We look forward to continuation of their support in
future
In more than one context, changes introduced in 1992
cannot be assessed in the context of that year alone, but,
rather, they should be seen as a result of the experien't'
gained over nine years of work in a unique branch of th.::
development field; that of mountain development. The
impact of these changes cannot be seen now, but
obviously they will have made their mark by the time that
ICIMOD is on the threshold of its next decennial.
Part I of the Annual Report covers Highlights of
Programme Activities; Part II, the Thematic Research and
Development Programmes; and Part III, Dissemination
and Action Programmes. Part IV contains information on
Administration and Finance.
... Dr. Mahesh Banskota assumed the position of Director of Programmes with effect from I July 1992. Dr. Banskota is of Nepalese nationality and has worked for ICIMOD in various capacities since Julv 1984. He was appointed alief Programme Coordinator in June 1987 and was redesignated al"
Acting Director of Programmes in November 1991.
Highlights of Programme Activities
The key programme activities are briefly described in this section. An attempt has been made to deal with the principal emphases, and these will then be elaborated upon in Parts II and III .
The Challenge
This year has been very encouraging in the context of
staffing and internal management. The appointments of
the two directors and Division Heads on longer contract
periods than heretofore is a commencement towards the
internationalisation of the Centre. This also reflects the
increasing institutional confidence and permanence that
the Centre has acquired in that it can now begin to offer
longer term positions to its key professionals.
An overriding factor in this increasing institutional
contidence and permanence was that 1992 was a very
encouraging year in the context ot resource mobilisatIOn.
In addition to our core donors, the GoVt"rnment of the
Netherlands provided support for a period of four years
for Institutional Strengthening in Promoting Sustainable
Mountain Farming Systems. In addition, the Royal
Government of Norway and IDRC are supporting
Mini/Micro Hydropower Development Projects and
Mountain Resource Management respectively and
discussions with the European Community concerning the
next phase of the Mountain Risk Engineering Project have
4
been very encouraging. The
Asian Development Bank (ADB)
and Ford Foundation continued
with their appreciable support of
the Centre. The ADB is
supporting projects covering
three programme groups, and
the Ford Foundation is
supporting two activities.
ICIMOD also cooperated with
FAO in the development of a
Watershed Management Training
Programme for Mountain Areas.
Mountain Farming Systems
The Mountain Farming Systems'
Division was engaged 10 the organisation and
implementation of three important activities. Under
Sustainable Agriculture II (supported by the Asian
Development Bank, see Annual Report 1991), the focus
was on continuing the work on identification, review,
and dissemination of replicable development experiences
in the HKH Region within the Mountain Perspective
Framework. A number of field-based case studies in
China, India, and Nepal (c;upported by the ford
Foundation, see Annual Report 1991), examining
avaIlable evidence rer-:arding trends in mountain
agriculture, resource use, farmerc;' traditional practices,
and modern interventions were completed, and the
findings were presented in a workshop organised in
Manali, Himachal Pradesh, India, from August 1-4 this
year. Work was also initiated in Institutional
Strengthening for Promoting Sustainable Mountain
Farming Systems (supported by the Royal Government of
the Netherlands). This will be implemented in different
phases. Phase I will be used for undertaking reviews of
agricultural institutions in all the ICIMOD Member
countries with emphasis on policy formulation and
implementation, research and development activities, and
provision of agricultural support services. A regional
meeting will be organised early next year to discuss and
identify institutional strengthening measures needed in
different countries (Phase II of the project).
Population and Employment
The two-year programme on off-farm employment
(Annual Report 1991) was completed and the findings
discussed in a regional workshop. The workshop
proceedings and the case studies have been published.
Following the recommendations of this regional
workshop, an indicative proposal outlining a number of
areas for further work, focussing on action-oriented
research, has been prepared. A number of other potential
areas in the field of employment generation are also being
examined in such tields as Human Resources, Women and
Sustainable Development, and Tourism.
Mountain Infrastructure and Technology
There were no specific pro¥ramme activities during 1992,
Training in GIS Applications
The demand for training in GIS Applications has
increased so rapidly that ICIMOD is beginning to face
difficulties in terms of keeping pace with the growing
requests. This has been mainly on account of the high
quality facilities established by ICIMOD and the efforts it
has made to promote the development of national
capacities for practical use of GIS tools in planning.
Practical applications are being demonstrated through a
wide-ranging number of case studies undertaken in the
context of training exercises.
Area-based Planning and Development
Emphasis here was on the completion of the Economic
and Environmental Development Plan for the Bagmati
Zone in Nepal. The inter-disciplinary and inter-divisional
study team has completed field work in the districts and
is currently putting together the development plans for the
study area. The plans are being prepared in close consul
tation with the district and national agencies and policy
makers.
as the expected programme funding only materialised in Networking and Information Exchange
December (Mini\Micro Hydropower Development) or was
still under consideration at the turn of the year (Mountain
Risk Engineering). A number of reviews regarding energy
and appropriate technology in mountain areas was
completed.
Mountain Environmental Managt'mt'nt
During 1992 the implementation of site-specific
rehabilitation of degraded lands in mountalD ecosystems
commenced. The activities are in varying stages of
development in different member countries. As this is the
tirst on-the-ground collaboration with national agencies,
the mechanisms for organising the activities at field level
are taking time. The Second Regional Hydrology Meeting
was successfully completed and, based upon its
recommendations, discussion of a draft proposal for
long-term work in regional hydrology is currently
ongoing.
Information disseminatton focal points have been
established and are operational in a number of member
countries. Many. publications are now being exchanged
through these focal points. Networking in other more
specific subjects, such as regional hydrology and GIS
applications, is also being developed. The acquisition of
documents by the Library is continuing and the number of
institutions and individuals receiving ICIMOD
publications has been steadily increasing.
Professional and Institutional Development
A number of applied research activities has been
undertaken under this programme - mainly as individual
research work. The ICIMOD work on the Himalayan
Honey Bee has made excellent progress. Several research
awards were also given to solicit the understanding of
institutional aspects of natural resources' management.
5
6
Publications
1. Annual Report 1991 2. Newsletter No. 16 - July 1992 3. Catalogue of Publications - Autumn 4. ICIMOD brochure and Thematic Programme brochures 5. Off-farm Employment and Mountain Development (Workshop Report)
Case Studies
Application of GIS for Natural Resource Management in Dh2ding District, Nepal - ME=NRIS Case Study Series
Books
User Group Forestry in the Far-Western Region of Nepal: Emerging Commonalitiec; a'1d Variations (Case Studies from Baitadi and Achham) - Ram B. alhetri and TulS! R. Pandey
Occasional Papers
No. 18. Hydrological Aspects of the Himalayan Region, - Donald Alford No. 19. Sustainability of the Environmental Resource Base and Development Priorities of a Mountain
Community, Bhardeo, Nepal - Kk Pamiay No. 20. Seabuckthorn: A Multipurpose Plant Species for Fragile Mountains - Lu Rongsen No. 21. The Land, The Farmer, and the Future: A Soil Fertility Management Strategy for Nepal -
Brian Carson No. 22. Dynamics of Highland Agriculture - Liu Yanhua
MFS Discussion Papers
No. 23. Global Change and Environmental Risk in Mountain Ecosystems - N.S. lodha No. 24. Sustainable Land Use Involving Trees in the Himalayan Region: Perspectives and Policy
Implications - N.S. lodha No. 25. Agricultural Growth and Sustainability: Perspectives and Experiences from the Himalayas -
N.S.lodha No. 26. Transformation of Mountain Agriculture: Nepal Case Study - Bhimendra Katwal and Laxman Sah No. 27. Strategies for Sustainable Mountain Agriculture: Chitral District, Pakistan Case Study -
Masood uZ Mulk No. 28. Strategies for Sustainable Mountain Agriculture in the Middle Hills of Nepal Case Study
Sugandha Shrestha and Yanllm Yadav No. 29. Urea Molasses Block: A Feed Supplement for Mountain Areas The Bhutanec;e Experience and Its
Replication Possibilities - luddha P. Bajrachmya No. 30. Management of Pastoral Systems in the Mountains. Experiences and Lessons from We5t Sictll .. ~ r,
China - Sun Qingguo No. 31. Commercialisation of Mountain Agriculture: Expe iences from Miy COLnty lin O!enjef1 f: No. 32. Mountain AgricultlJre' l'1dicators of Unc;uc;taindbility and Options fo' Reversal Sur:andha S/,re tllll No. 33. The Andean Camelids, Llama and Alpaca The Potp'1tia and Prerequ site., for 1r.+rudL.ctior Irtf)
Other Mountain Envronments· JulIO Suma,. ard 11eillndro (amIT/O
MPE Discussion Papers
No.8. rhe Management of Forest Resources i,l Sindhu Pa crok and Kabhre Polanchok Dl5trll,b o· Nepal - Robert 1. fisher, Hukun! Bdr. Singh Deepak R. Pandey, and Helmut Lang
No. 12. Off-Farm Employment in the Hengduan Mountain Region of Sichuan Province, China Cheng Guojie, Olen Zhijian, Huang Xiyi, Wang Fti, Yu Side, and Zhang lun
No. 13. Off-Farm Employment in the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan Mian M. Zazeer and Saiyeda Zia AI-lalally
No. 14. Off-Farm Employment in the Hill and Mountain Regions of Nepal - lanardan Khatri-aletri and Bhimendra Katwal
MEM Series
No.8. Population Dynamics, Environment, and Development in the Arun Watershed, Nepal - Pitamber Shamra
Part II
Thematic Research and
Development Programmes
Programme I Mountain Farming Systems Programme II Mountlli n Population and Employment Programme III Mountain Infrastructure and Technoloxy Programme IV Mounwin Envirownental Management
Mountain Farming Systems
. During 1992, the programme activities of Mountain Farming Systems concentrated on organising research, training, information exchange, and publications in a number of priority areas. The analysis of unsustainability was aimed at developing a better understanding of its dimensions (indicators) on the basis of field studies. A review of successful cases of mountain development was also undertaken.
Highlights
Applied Research Work
(a) Analysis of Unsustainability. One of the major
applied research activities of MFS focussed on the
identitication and documentation of the indicators of
unsustainability (i.e., persistent negative changes) i!l
mountain areas of Nepal, India, and China. Covering
selected locations described as 'hot spots' of
unsustainability (i.e., where most of the negative
changes are taking place simultaneously), the studies
identiti ed over twenty variables that shared negative
trends. These variables related to natural resource
hase, productivity, production tlows, and management
practices. In terms of the identitication and
assessment of these variables, the information
gathering methods involved Rapid Rural Appraisal
(RRA) techniques and group interviews and, in the
case of Nepal, the complementary use of remote
8
sensing and socioeconomic
data. Desk reviews and
synthesis of several past
studies, covering mountain
areas in Nepal and India,
were undertaken using the
framework developed for
tield studies Inventories of
possihle technological
measures to arrest unsus-
tainahi li ty trends were
prepared us ing the
technologies in the pipeline
or those conti ned so far to
areas where they were
developed .
(b) Development and Replication of Successful
Interventions. This part of the programme is a
continuation of work that commenced in 1991.
Seabuckthorn, an underexploited, high mountain,
cold dry zone plant, received major attention from
two aspects: (i) how it was successfully harnessed in
China as a resource that improved farm economies
through agro-industrial processing and how it
upgraded the carrying capacity of degraded support
lands in remote mountain areas and ii) exploratory
surveys in Nepal, India, and Pakistan to assess
Seabuckthorn resources and their traditional uses with
a view to replicating the Chinese experiences in these
three countries.
(c) Polythene Film Technology. Polythene Film
Technology has heen successfully used in different
parts of China (cold areas) to improve plant growth.
The focus of applied research was on the assessment
Adopting plastic film technology
of the usefulness of this technology in other mountain
areas. It is being used by Chinese mountain farmers
to modify the effects of micro-environments to
enhance growth periods, soil moisture conservation,
temperature control for crop growth, and to control
weed growth.
(d) Transformation of Agriculture. Three areas in the
Himalayan region, viz., Himachal Pradesh in India,
Ningnan County in China, and lIam district in
Eastern Nepal, have made successful attempts to
commercialise hill agriculture, thereby improving the
living standards of the people in these areas. Field
studies were carried out in these areas to understand
the processes and factors behind their transformation
with specific focus on their replicability
elsewhere.
(e) Vegetable Seed Production.
production (t I )
seed
) is
an important component of commercial hill
agriculture. Its comparative advantage lies in the cool
climate of mountain areas. It has not been adequately
understood that seed production can be increased
through effective pollination of vegetable crops in
mou'ntain areas. Research efforts focussed on
experimenting with bee pollination and the timings
for different vegetable crops. The research findings
have been incorporated into a manual (guidelines)
prepared especially for extension workers and
farmers.
(t) Agropastoral Farming. Agropastoral farming 10 Tibet
was studied to understand (a) traditional systems of
animal husbandry and livestock resources and (b)
agricultural Jevelopment experiences in the context of
agropastoral systems, with a view to identifying
replicable lessons for the management of livestock
and pasture at high altitudes.
Actilitie's
In 1992 the programme launched a series of activities.
(a) Sustainable Upland Agricultural Training Programme.
A programme focussing on Sloping Agricultural Land Technology (SALT) was organised for
participants from the Hindu Kush-Himalayan
countries in collaboration with the Asian Rural Life
Development Foundation (ARLDF) and the
International Institute of Rural Reconstruction (IIRR)
in the Philippines. The multinational group of 11
trainees consisted of scientists, development project
managers, NGO representatives, and extension
workers. After their return they were engaged in
preparing proposals for trial· cum demon'itration plots
for SALT in their respective countries.
(b) Seabuck!horn A~areness Mission. A mission to China
on an awareness-cum-replication feasibility
programme for Seabuckthorn (SBT) was organised
for senior policy-makers and scientists from ICIMOD
member countries. The main objective of the mission
was to develop a better understanding of the Chinese
experience in harnessing this plant in order to
promote SBT in other countries of the HKH. The
mission members, from Bhutan, India, Nepal, and
Pakistan, as well as ICIMOD staff, made plans to
harness SBT resources in their respective countries.
(c) Training in the Mount~in Perspective. A Mountain
Perspective Framework Training Programme was
organised for groups of in-service professionals from
different institutions in India. The Central Himalayan
Rural Action Group (C'HIRAG) and Society for the
Promotion of Wasteland Development (SPWD) - two
NOOs from the Indian Himalayas . and the
Agroeconomic Res<"arch Centre, Shimla, were the key
institutions. Shorter traimng programmes (through
both lectures and exercises) on the mountain
perspective were also conducted for professionals
from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the
FAO's Regional Farm Management Commission for
Asia and the Far East. The framework developed for
understanding the dynamics of unsustainabiIity
formed a part of the training exercise for
collaborating institutions from Nepal, India, and
China.
9
Field Demonstrations
This was another new dimension that commenced in
1992.
a) In the effort to promote the SALT technology in the
Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region, a pilot demonstration
project was estahlished in partnership with the Institute
of Geography, CAS, Chengdu Institute of Biology,
C AS, and the local county leadership of Ningnan
County. The :;cientific staff working In the
estahlishment of thIs demonstration project were
included in the SALT training programme In the
Philippines. This helped the Chinese team to make
appropriate modifications In their SALT demonstratIOn
work.
The progress reports from the Chinese SALT project
highlight its very encouraging development. The latest
reports state that requests for the expansion of the
project have heen received from hoth county leaders
and farmers. It is also reported that the local govern
ment has asked all local authorities and farmers to do
their hest to make the project a success. Farmers' visits
from other areas have been organised by the local
government to see the project. This field demonstration
in China has proved to be a successful SALT model,
suited to local conditions Similar demonstration work
has ht.'en planned for other <.'ountries if funding for
such al'tlvities hecomes avallahle.
h) Low <.'ost Wat~r Harvesting. System (U'WHSl Thi<;
:-;ystem has heen developed in the Indian Himalay,u;.
Institutions such a ... the Central Himalayan NGO -
CHIRA(J, the (iB Pant Institute for Himalayan
Environment and Development «JBP IHEn). and the
Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Markding
Corporation (HPHPMC) in Himachal are involved in
promoting this in the Indian Himalayas. INSAN
(Institute for Sustainahle Agriculture, Nepal), in
collahoration with ICIMOD, introduced the technology
into Nepal. INS AN staff visited the Indian Himalayas
to assess the workahility of the system in Nepalese hill
conditions. Following their recommendations, ICIMOD
10
and INSAN collaborated to establish 20 such LCWHS
units in the middle hills of Nepal (Kathmandu Valley
and Dolakha district) on a pilot demonstration basis.
c) Development of Seabuckthorn has been taken up as a
major component of MFS activities. It is being field
tested in Nepal. Jomsom was selected as the project
area and nurseries of SBT have been set up at
different altitudes. Different methods of seed
multiplication have been tried and some very useful
results achieved in order to improve methods to
facilitate rapid afforestation using Seabuckthorn.
Land has been selected already In order to commence
afforestation in the next season using the nursery
materIal developed.
d) Sunflower Stalks as Vegetahle Stakes. A farmer-level
demonstration using sunflower stalks as vegetable
stakes was carried out in cooperation with an NGO
Development Alternatives. A village involved in
vegetable production for marketing purposes in
Dhading district was selected for the demonstration.
Sunflower seeds were distributed free of cost to
farmers. In one season the sunflower crop was llised
alongside maize. In the following season, the dried
stems were used hy farmers as stakes for tomato, bean,
and cucumher crops
The MountaIn rarmIng Systems' Programme organised
workshops and meetings. prepared video films, and
publi<;heu documents on studies carried out under appJi d
resean.'h.
Re~neratlve Agricultural TechnologIes for the Hill
farmer~ of Nepal. A workshop on regenerative
agricultural technologies for hill farmers was jointly
sponsored by IC'IMOD, DANIDA. CARE, and the
USAID. It was organised by the International Institute for
Rural Reconstruction (IIRR) and Nepal Rural
Reconstruction Association (NERRA). This ten-day
workshop (April 16-25, 1992) was attended by people
from different disciplines and institutions. In the
workshop, descriptive and operational accounts with
illustrations were presented for over 90 technologies
rehtted to improving hill agriculture. About 70 of them
were finally selected and published as one to two page
diagrammatic presentations with simple brief notes for use
by extension workers and farmers. The subject areas
covered by these papers are regenerative agriculture in the
hills, cropping systems, post-harvest technologies,
vegetahle and fruit production, natural resources and their
management, livestock and fodder, soil fertility,
composting and manuring, and pest management.
An information kit has since been published for
distrihution. ICIMOD made special efforts to distribute
copies of this kit to relevant institutions in other HKH countries.
Workshop on Community Forestry and User Groups. A
workshop was organised to evaluate the current trends in
community forestry. The focus was on assessing and
exchanging the experiences of community forestry user
groups in Nepal and joint forest management initiatives in
India. Useful discussions and exchanges of information
took place hetween Indian and Nepalese participants. The
workshop was held in an informal, rural setting.
Grassroots' discussion at the workshop
Unsustainahility Workshop. A four-day workshop to share
the results and methodologies of tield studies on the
dynamics of "unsustainahility" was held in Manali, India.
Participating were nearly 40 professionals from ICIMOD,
GBP lHED; Agro-Centre, Shimla; the Indian Planning
Commission; and the Universities of Shimla, Palampur,
and Solan in Himanchal Pradesh.
As a part ofICIMOD's advocacy role for mountain areas,
the unsustainahility indicators and their possible solutions
were presented hefore expert groups assemhled by the
FAO and the World Bank and national agencies in India,
China, and Nepal.
Video Film'). Video tilms of some ')ucces-;ful experiences
in the HKH were prepared in 1992.
I) Seahuckthorn: A Mountain Sflec ific Ofltion shows the
successful harnessing of this plant hy the Chinese as
an agro-industrial product as well as a pioneer plant
for improving degraded lands in cold and dry high
mountain areas.
ii) Polythene Film Technology has heen widely used by
Chinese farmers to modify the effects of the micro
environments of the mountains to manage soil
moisture, cold temperature, frost, and growth periods
for crop cultivation. This is a one-hour film. Part I is
of 30 minutes' duration and is an appraisal of how the
Chinese have used this technique to
improve productivity. The second half
gives crop wist" det .. il., explaining how
the technolo~~y l an he used tor specific
crops and even for animals.
iii) Mi~Tratory/\1()Hle Beeket'ping. 1'1
Paki<.t,lr This .Il'tlvity w .... promoted
as .1 rest.1t of the prL's<;ure causeJ by
Atirhan refugee" and ha-; now spread
throu!Th0u' the northern mountain
areas of Pakist,m The film explains
how thi., adivity has he\peJ create
off-farm employment opportunities
for people who had small
landholdings or who were landless refugees. Different
language versions (Urdu, English) of the tilm have also
heen prepared and distrihuted to different countries in the
HKH Region.
11
Mountain Population and Employment
The activities of the Mountain Off-farm Employment Project were divided into two phases during 1992. In the first phase, the current state of off-farm employment in the Hengduan mountains of China, the hill and mountain regipns of Nepal, and the North West Frontier Province of Pakistan were analy~ed. The focus of the analysis was on the structure and transformation of the labour force, current state of off-farm employment, review and assessment of policies that have a bearing on off-farm employment, and a review of some prominent and promising activitie'i.
The ~econd phase of the project ~ought to build upon earlier studies throu h a se ·es of c se ~tud·e~. The location -specific case studies included horticulture and small-scale enterprises in the township~ of Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province (China), tourism and vegetable production in Mustan and Dhading districts respectively (Nepal), and forest related activitie~ in Shangla Pari Alpuri Sub-division Swat district, NWFP (Pakistan). The case studies were devoted to an analysis and assessment of the current state of off-farm employment in the respective ~ocioeconomic and re~ource contexts; identification of factors that have inhibited or enhanced off-farm employment and income opportunities; analysis of the linkages of off-farm activities with farm and off-farm sectors; and preparation of guidelines for the future development of potential off-farm opportunities.
Highlights
An International Workshop
was held In Kathmandu
(Fehruary 17-20, 1992) to
present and discuss the tindings
and implications of Phases One
and Two of the Mountain Otf
farm Employment Project. The
workshop provided a forum for
sharing research tindings among
lelMOD professionals, national
research collahorators, conLer
ned intt'rndtlonal agencies and
development practitioners, and
ll~clsion-makers from the HKH
Region.
The studies showed that off-farm employment was a
dominant pattern and often the only source of cash income
for many mountain communities. Distress employment in
local areas (as wage lahourers or engaged in attivities that
are not very remunerative) or seasonal or temporary
migration to areas outside the locality are the most
common strategies in the mountains of Nepal/Pakistan.
12
International workshop on off-farm employment
The tindings demonstrated the usefulness of the mountain
paradigm in the context of off farm employment.
It was shown that while inaccessihility and remoteness,
fragility of the environment, and marginality in the
mountains were constraints to he overcome, these very
constraints, if wisely exploited, could provide the basis
for sustainahle off-farm employment. Diversity, in
particular, afforded a number of comparative advantages.
j
However, the scale-sensitive nature of the mountain • Food Security
environment, particularly the fact that carrying capacities
are reached rather quickly (e.g., tourism, mining) and the
limits to specialisation (evident in biodiversity), were
shown to merit careful assessment in the promotion of
off-farm employment. Because of the interplay of these
objective conditions in the mountains, the question was
not simply one of creating opportunities for gainful
employment, but of promoting the appropriate "type" of
gainful employment based on comparative advantages and
sustainability in an environmental ami economic sense.
A number of lessons relevant for planning and promotion
of off-farm employment in the mountains of the HKH
emerged from the regional overviews and from the case
studies. Some of the principal issues and lessons are
outlined here.
• Link between Farm and Off-farm EmpLoyment
Experiences in off-farm employment generation in the
HKH suggest that, in the initial stages, the links with
the farming system remain crucial not only in terms
of the complementarity in the demand for labour but
also in terms of minimising the risks associated in
moving from farm to off-farm and non-farm
employment. The links with the farming system
remain important also, because income earned from
off-farm activities can contribute to an increase in
agricultural productivity through access to inputs and
knowhow.
• Re( (l~nill(Jn of ( ompclrcillVt' Advanta,.!{ ~
Expenence in the HKH shows that assessment of
comparative advantages, in the context of regIOnal,
national, or international markets, is an essential
prerequisite for any off-farm activity. In many areas,
comparative advantages may not be very explicit or
evident. It is then the role of the "intervention"
mechanism to delineate and create conditions for the
exploitation of comparative advantages through
extension, training, etc.
The role of food security in the promotion of off-farm
employment opportunities in the HKH appears to be
quite important. Availability and affordability of
foodgrains were therefore important preconditions for
the growth of off-farm employment.
• Infr~tructure and Accessibility
Th<, role of infrastructure and accessibility in the
promotion of off-farm employment in the mountains
is crucial. But infrastructufl." should not necessarily
mean high investment infrastructure. Although a
better road infrastructure may be required at a later
stage, earthen roads can provide transportation routes
in the initial stages. Therefore, roads, in particular,
need to be perceived In the context of off-farm
employment growth stages. Sometimes advantages can
be derived from inaccessibility, for example, in the
case of trekking tourism. The comparative advantages
of the mountains for providing an energy
infrastructure need to be appreciated from an
employment perspective also.
• Markets and Market Information
One of the reasons for the pervasiveness of "distress"
employment in the mountains is the lack of access to
markets -- both labour and product markets. However,
while markets provide an outlet for produce, markets
also introduce competitton. Also, tImely information
on markets provide .. the impetus for product"rs to
remain competitive. It IS here that modern
communicatIon facilities dnd the development of
market centres can contnbute towards overcoming the
constraints of Inaccessibility and remoteness.
• LocaL Len'i Imtitutwn,· and OrRamsatLOns
Local organisations can facilitate the promotion of off
farm employment in their role as defenders of
community interests and ensure that benetits are
reaped by the local people; by helping in the
13
mohilisation of local resources; hy acting as informal
mechanisms for "knowledge sharing"; and by
promoting the interests of the poor.
• Human Resource Development (HRD)
While the need for training, education, and skill
enhancement remains crucial for promotIng off-farm
employment, such education and training has to he
made relevant to mountain conditions. Development
of entrepreneurial capahilities; focus on women's
involvement 10 off-farm activities through an
appreciation of the gender issues involved; and
inculcating environmental awareness in the promotion
of off-farm activities appear to he relevant areas of
concern in HRD.
• Government Policy
The government policy in most HKH countries has
tended to treat off-farm employment as a "residual".
Government policies have, by and large, been
inconsistent over time and have tended to ignore the
linkages of off-farm activities in the diverse regional,
resource, and activity context of the mountains. Also
conventional forms of government "intervention" have
generillly ignored non-price measures. Policy
rectitication in these areas is warranted and off-farm
employment has to he a concern in the frammg of
macro-economic poliCies.
In response to these issues, gUiddines for the- promotion
of otf-farm employment have he-en prepared and tocus
and focus on Human Resource Devdopment and Skill
14
Training, Support Services and Infrastructure (including
extension, marketing, and credit), and Macro-economic
Policies.
Networking and Information Exchange
As part of the programme, ICIMOD collaborated with
professionals from the Institute of Mountain Disaster
and Environment at the Chinese Academy of Sciences,
Chengdu. and the Institute ot Rural Development, the
Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Beijing, in China;
the Agricultural Projects' Services Centre (APROSC),
Kathmandu, in Nepal, and the Centre for Applied
Economic Studies (CAPES) at the University of Peshawar
in Pakistan .
Twenty-nine participants took part in the International
Workshop on the tindings and implications of the
Mountain Off-farm Employment Project. These included
(i) research collahorators from China, Nepal, and Pakistan
who were involved in the regional overview studies as
well as case studies in respective countries; (ii)
researchers, development practitioners, and policy-makers
from China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan; (iii) selected
participants from donor agencies; and (iv) researchers
from ICIMOD.
The case study presentations in the workshop, by a senior
pohcy-maker from each country, were followed by
commentaries on the policy experiences and positions of
respective governments. This provided an opportunity for
mteractlOn bdween rese-archers and policy-maker.. and
contrihuted to the formulation of guidehne& for the
promotion of off-farm employme-nt 10 the mountains.
Mountain Infrastructure and Technology
A number of activities were undertaken during 1992. These included discussions with donors concerning project funding, preparation of in-house reviews, and professional inputs into inter-divisional programme activities.
Hi~hlight"
MRI Traimng Phase III
A project proposal on Mountain
Risk Engineering Phase III was
suhmitted by ICIMOD to the
European Economic Community.
An appraisal team visited
ICIMOD in November to review
past activities and to appraise the
Phase III project proposal.
Design and Testing of a
Regional Training Programme
on Mini- and Micro-hydropower
for Mountain Development
A revised proposal was submitted to the Royal Norwegian
Government and received its support. Implementation will
commence from April 1993
The project, entitled "Mini- and Micro-Hydropower for
Mountain Development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan
Region," is for a period of 24 months and the
participating countries will be Bhutan, India, Nepal,
Pakistan, and China.
Energy is a topic of primdry interest to ICIMOD and
several activities have already been organised in this area
(see Annual Reports 1989,1990, and 1991). In 1986, in
collahoration with institutions in Bangladesh, Bhutan,
China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan, a workshop on
"District Energy Planning and Management for Integrated
21 Megawatt hydropower installation, Trishuli, Nepal
Aitken et al. 1991) From 1987 to 1988 with European
Community Support, a Rural Energy Planning and
Management Programme was implemented, and, in 1991,
a seminar was held in collaboration with the Agricultural
Development Bank of Nepal and the Water and Energy
Commission of His Majesty's Government of Nepal on
"Rural Energy and Related Technologies in Nepal".
During the implementation of these energy programmes
a number of issues recurred time and again, namely, per
capita consumption in the region is low; wood fuel is the
principal ~ource of rural energy, but Its sustained
availability over time is doubtful; and economies have not
grown satisfactorily and better income and employment
opportunities are necessary for the rural population. This
calls for a conscious effort to transform rural areas
through the promotion of efficient agricultural practices
and off-farm activities. It goes without saying that total
Mountain Development" was held and a number of papers reliance on wood fuel has serious environmental
puhlished (Bajracharya 1986, Kumar and Ahuja 1987, and implications.
15
Against this background, it became all too obvious that,
from both the environmental and developmental point of
view, the issue of energy in mountain regions deserved
much more attention than it was receiving. Based on
studies conducted in each of the countries involved, it
seemed evident that exploitation of water through
mini\micro-hydropower technology, under the right
conditions, would promote rural technology and provide
clean affordable energy in rural areas.
The key issues to be covered include costs, tariffs,
management systems, operation and maintenance, use
diversitication, gender perspectives, research and
development, and training and policy issues. The specific
programme ohjectives are outlined helow.
a)
h)
To ohtain a hetter understanding of the current
status of mini/micro hydropower programmes
and their role in the energy supply systems in
mountain areas, through examination of the
main issues, problems, and constraints related
to the successful implementation and
management of these programmes.
To identify potential areas, as well as policies
and programmes, which will help 10
diversification of the end uses of the energy
c)
d)
e)
t)
To identify potential roles for the funding
agencies and development banks in promotion
of the technology in an improved manner in
future.
To identify training needs in the areas of
planning, design, construction and management,
and utilisation of mini- and micro-hydropower
schemes.
To develop practical and relevant traimng
programmes on MMHP development in the
Himalayan regions for ~ubsequent Implemen
tation in each country on a national basis
To organise a regional network of sustamed
information exchange in the Himalayan Region
for Micro- and Mini-hydel Power Development
and Management.
Seminar/Workshop Participation
The division participated in the FAO/HMG National
Seminar on "Wood-hased Energy Systems for Cottage and
Village Industry Applications". The FAO has shown a
supplies through the m1Ol- and mIcro· keen interest in collahorating with ICIMOD in Regional
hydropower system. Wood Energy Development Programme activities.
~''''''' . _. ,....~~ .. ,~-
"" .... .. ~T
16
Mountain Environmental Management
Development interventions over the last few decades have brought about tremendous changes in the mountains, often at the cost of the highly energetic and vulnerable mountain ecosystems. With rapidly growing populations, such development efforts have alo;;o exerted increased pressure on natural resources and have often caused degradation and irreversible damage to the environment. As development proceo;;ses and interventions are to continue, and even need to be accelerated for rapid economic development, mountain environments and societies will be subjected to accelerated transformation in the coming decades. This means there is an urgent need to look for alternative strategies and approaches for better and more efficient management of the mountain environment in order to ensure sustainable de\-elopment.
HiJ.!hliJ.!hts
~/tJl'lIIg Agricullural Land T(chnolog} (SALT)
This is a joint activity of the Mountain Fanning Systems
and the Environmental Management Programme. An
action-oriented research trial and demonstration is heing
carried out in Ningnan County, Sichuan, China, in
collahoration with the Institute of Geography, CAS,
Beijing, Institute of Biology, CAS, Chengdu, and
Ningnan County authorities. An area of 7.2 ha of sloping
land was. selected for trial plots for SALT experiments
using technologies developed in the Philippines for
sloping agricultural lands in comhination with indigenous
technology. The technology has heen well received hy the
people and interest in it is increasing.
PI ot/l(Jlion (If A flfofore tn 'f,lre t
M.mf/ '( ment 1111 (I ugh I (If'al
In flllltin", in th( En\t( r11
Himalayan R{ ~/nn
ICIMOD was awarded a !yrant
hy the World Environmental and
Resources' Programme of the
\1cAt1hur Foundation, USA, to
conduct action-research in two
areas in the eastern Himalayas
(one in China and the other in
Nepal), in order to strengthen
the capacity of local farmers to
absorb and promote improved agroforestry and forest
management technologies and practices. In February this
year, a field survey was conducted in China for this
project, and a field site for implementing the project was
identified in the Zixishan Nature Reserve of the Chuxiong
Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. The
collaborating institution is the Kunming Institute of
Botany (KIB) , CAS. The KIB/Chuxiong team and
ICIMOD have jointly organised on·site training in
participatory rural appraisal (PRA) at Chuxiong, in which
15 participants (seven from the site villages, three from
the protected area, and five from the project team) were
involved.
The key prohlems identified through the PRA training
were:
Land under pressure - Himalayan rangeland, U.P., India
17
(a)
(h)
(c)
fuelwood shortage;
lack of cash income; and
shortage of fodder .
Masella lasiocarpa, and Vetiveria zizaniodes
will be planted for soil erosion control and
water-holding in the surrounding areas of the
Nature Reserve; and
A detailed action plan for the selected areas was
developed focussing on:
(t) keeping livestock of the two villages in
fenced areas and developing a high-yielding
fodder species, Amaranthus paniculatus. on
marginal lands. (a)
(h)
(c)
planting of fuelwood trees on marginal lands
and degraded hills (13.3 ha in twu villages
for planting Acacia meatrisii and Alnus
nepalensis) ;
selection of 10 to 12 households in two
villages for biogas demonstrations;
introduction of energy-saving stoves in all the
households of the two villages;
Besides the principal project activities, three training
activities have been organised to demonstrate planting and
management technologies. By June and July 1992, 14 ha
of intercropping hilly land had already been planted with
crops and fuelwood trees and seedlings from five
kilogrammes of the fodder plant seed, Amaranthus
paniculatus, in the two villages located on the test site.
Similar work is also expected to begin on the site selected
(d) selection of four different indigenous fruit for agroforestry development in Nepal.
trees combined with corn, Amaranthus.
potatoes, edible lilies, ginger, Amor-
phophallus (an indigenous tuber crop), and Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in Mountain Ecosystems
pulses as well as green manure plants for
developing agroforestry in home gardens and ICIMOD has been awarded a grant by the International
on uplands; Development Research Centre (IDRC), Canada, to
conduct action-research in five countries of the Himalayan
(e) selection of a hill slope of 14 ha as a SALT Region with the purpose of developing a better
demonstration site where Alnus nepalensis. understanding of the forces and processes underlying land
Dipping bucket - automatic data collection system
degradation and identifying
measures for restoring and
developing degraded lands in
different mountain ecosystems
using options that are field-tested
and found to be economically,
environmenrolly, and socially
viable. Field work has already
begun in China and Nepal.
Baoshan County in the Yunnan
Province of China was identified
as the field site for China, and
the Institute of Botany,
Kunming, CAS, was appointed
as the collaborating institution.
18
a collaborative effort between ICIMOD ~D,d the University
of British Columbia (UBC), funded by' the International
Development Research Centre (IDRC). This project
builds on previous work done in the Jhikhu Khola
watershed, located 40 Ian east of Kathmandu in the Mid
hills of Nepal, to quantify sources and rates of erosion,
establish sediment budgets, and document indigenous
knowledge on issues such as soil erosion control, soil
fertility management, and sediment trapping. It will
examine the linkages between grazing lands, forests, and
cultivated land,>, particularly in relation to nutrient
leaching. The project will also seek to develop new,
Highly degraded forest land _ Dhulikhel, Nepal computer-based Geographical Information System (GIS) models and methods to integrate socioe~onomic variabl s
On-site field training on PRA was organised in Baoshan with biophysical data.
County, and 15 participants were involved in the initial
project activity to identify the key problems and The major goals of this project are:
alternative approaches for rehabilitating degraded lands.
The identitied experimental area is located at an elevation
between 1,350 to 1,600 masl, with degraded upland
fanning lands and completely deforested grazing areas on
steep slopes (gradients ranging from 15 - 20"). Follow-up
activities have commenced and include the establishment
of nurseries, small-scale water harvesting pits, and the
construction of small-scale check-dams in selected gullies
and streams on the site.
In Nepal, project sites are being identitied for
implementation of the projed in close consultation with
national agencies. It is expected that two areas of
uegradeu forest lands will be taken up and tn' prokd
implemented through Users' Groups In dose coopt' ration
with the District forest Ottice in Kavrepalanchok
district.
In India, the G. B. Pant Institute of Himalayan
Environment and Development will be collaboratint with
ICIMOD to implement this project in the Indian
Himalayas. In Pakistan, the Pakistan Forest Instituk (PrJ)
in Peshawar will serve as the collaborating institution.
Mountain Resource Manat:ement Project
The Mountain Resource Management (MRM) Project is
(a) to document long-term changes in land use, soil
fertility status, erosion process, and sediment
budgets; and
(b) to develop an understanding of indigenous land use/
production systems for land use planning and to
examine selected alternative approaches to improve
the ecological and economic sustainability of these
systems.
The specific ob.kftives are.
(a) to locument indigenou<; knowledge on r sour 'e
man,lgemt'nt m'thods;
(h) to expand and up!'r.ld tht' xl~tin!' mC'nltonn!'
network tor hydrulo~lcal erosion and metcorolvfH'c I
information u<;ing automated loggt"r!. complt''ll<:'nkd
hy manJal techniquts;
(c) to evaluate and quantity linkages and mtt"raction'i
hetween cultivated lands, forests, and grazing lanus;
and
(d) to develop new methods and models for the
integration and interpretation of socioeconomic and
19
biophysical variables for assessing land use
management options using GIS.
Anticipated Results and Beneficiaries
• The project will provide essential data on processes
and rates of change in soil erosion, sedimentation,
and fertility status.
• The biophysical resource information will be
integrated with land use and socioeconomic data
through GIS to provide thematic informatIOn for
various scenarios on a real-time basis.
• Forestry personnel will receive critical information
on erosion and soil fertility to guide their
reforestation efforts.
Management through Local Institutions in the Eastern
Himalayan Region on June 1-9, 1992, at Chuxiong
in Yunna~ Province of China. Altogether 15
participants attended the on-site project training
programme, which was jointly organised by ICIMOD
country collaborators and local authorities.
(b) Training workshop (China) on PRA for implementing
the project on Rehabilitation of Degraded Lands in
Mountain Ecosystems on September 11-16, 1992, at
Baoshan in Yunnan, China, in which 15 participants
attended the on-site project training. This was jointly
organised by ICIMOD, ChInese collaborators, and
the local authorities.
Networking and Information Exchange
• Agricultural extension workers and farmers will (a) Regional Programme on Mountain Hydrology
receive additional information on soil fertility status
under various crop rotation systems, particularly
where intensive triple crop rotation systems can be
sustained with current inputs. They will also be
informed of the potentially negative, long-term
effects of using pine litter in agriculture.
• The successful indigenous systems of erosion control,
soil classification, and soil fertility management will
he documented and calihrated for researchers and
agroextension personnel
• Data and methodological exch.mges will he initiated
and promoted hetween ICIMOD dnd HMO line
agencie<; and other countries.
Training Activities
Two training workshops on PRA were held for MEM
Projects in 1992.
(a) Training workshop (China) on PRA for implementing
Project Promotion of Agroforestry/Forest
20
The Regional Programme on Mountain Hydrology
in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas is a joint collaborative
programme of ICIMOD and UNESCO, under its
International Hydrological Programme (IHP), which
was estahlished in cooperation with the countries of
the region and the World Meteorological Office
(WMO) in response to a recommendation of the
Regional Workshop on Hydrology of Mountain
Areas (Kathmandu, Decemher 1989). The response
and support from the countries of the region haw
heen the most encouraging features of this
programme as IS evidenced hy thl'ir active
participation in all the activities carried out -;0 far.
Simildrly, UNDP's active participatmn In the
meet.ngs and continued Interest and support for thh;
programme also d..'serve special mention.
The Regional Working Group on Mountain
Hydrology (RWO) , which was also constituted in
accordance with another recommendation of the
December 1989 Workshop, has already met twice.
Major activities carried out under this programme
during 1992 include those listed below.
i) Preparation together with UNESCO of a draft
proposal for a medium-tenn project, viz,
Regional Network of Experimental Watersheds
for Hydrological Studies (RENEWHS) for the
Hindu Kush-Himalayas was carried out as per
the recommendation of the First Consultative
Meeting of the RWG. UNESCO financed the
services of a consultant to prepare the draft
project document. The draft project proposal was
endorsed in principle by the second Consultative
Meeting of the RWG. It is now being finalised in
consultation with the regional countries and
WMO.
ii) The Second Consultative Meeting of the Regional
Working Group on Mountain Hydrology (RWG)
was organised together with His Majesty's
Government of Nepal, Ministry of Water
'Meeting of the RWG was to refine ana provide
guidance for the finalisation of the draft project
proposal. After some, deliberation, the meeting
endorsed in principle the draft project proposal
and entrusted it to the Secretariat of the RWG.
The project document will be finalised with
assistance from WMO and in consultation with
the partici-pating countries, and it will then be
submitted to potential donors for funding.
Another interesting outwme of the meeting was the
tentative suggestions made by the representatives of some
regional countries regarding the designa-tion of
watersheds to be studied under the project In theIr
respective countries, as mentioned below, subject to
their governments' approval.
Resources, Department of Hydrology and Bangladesh A Watershed in the Chittagong Hill
Tracts with existing basic hydro
meteorological instrumentation.
Meteorology (DHM) , and UNESCO/IHP at the
ICIMOD Headquarters, Kathmandu, from 16 to
18 March, 1992. ICIMOD and UNESCO/IHP China
(through its Regional Office in New Delhi) have
jointly provided the Secretariat for the Regional Nepal
Working Group (RWG). UNESCO has also
Two Watersheds in Tibet with existing
basic infrastructure.
Phalankhu Khola Watershed in
Nuwakot district.
provided financial support to enable participants Pakistan A Watershed in Hunza Valley, a sub
area of the upper Indus basin, with
some instrumentation facilities provided
by a snow hydrology project.
from regional countries to attend the Second
Consultative Meeting and to meet some
organisational costs. The meeting was attended
by participantsl
observers from
Bangladesh, China,
India, Pakistan, and
Nepal. Altogether 30
experts participated in
the meeting, including
representatives from
WMO, UNDP, GTZ,
UNESCO, and ICIMOD
ami some experts from
Japan and Gennany.
The main objective of
the Second Consultative The Second Consultative Meeting of the RWG
21
l
The Second Consultative Meeting has also called upon all
the regional participating countries to formally designate
watersheds to he studied under the regional project as
soon as possihle.
Another major recommendation of the Meeting is
concerned with the training of manpower in relation to
mountain hydrology. It has entrusted ICIMOD,
UNESCO, and WMO to work together and in consulta
tion with other relevant institutions, both from within and
outside the HKH Region, to review availahle courses on
mountain hydrology in order to identify or design appro
priate training courses. Considering hoth the ongoing and
potential impacts of biophysical and climatic changes, as
well as human interventions, the need for operational
hydrology and water resource assessme~t, on the one
hand, and the knowledge of hydrological processes in the
mountain areas, on the other, should he considered.
ICIMOD, along with UNESCO and WMO, is engaged in
implementing these recommendations and, particularly, in
tinalising the project document in close consultation with
the participating countries for submission to UNDP and
other potential donors so that the Regional Project can
commence by early 1993.
Internatzonal Svmpo.uum on Snow and Glacier Hydrology
The "International Symposium on Snow and Glacier
Hydrology" was organised by HMG/Nepal, Ministry of
Water Resources, Department of Hydrology and
Meteorology (DHM), in Kathmandu from 16 to 21
November 1992. ICIMOD co-sponsored this symposium
along with the German Technical Cooperation Agency
(GTZ) , UNESCO, the World Meteorological Organisation
(WMO) , and the International Association of Hydrological
Sciences (IAHS). ICIMOD was invited to join the
Organising Committee.
-=-- _ -'J.'----.. ... "",."" ... ~~.
.. ,.-
~.~"i
22
Part III
Dissemination and
Action Programmes
Programme V Programme VI Programme VII Programme VIII
Documentation and Information Exchange Natural Rcsources' Asscssment and MonitorIng Area Dcvelopment Planning and Implcn/cntation Institutional and Professional Development
Documentation and Information Exchange
The main programme activities in 1992 were to computerise the processing of current documents and information through additions to databases and dissemination through documentation services and publications These are in conformity with the primary objectives of the Programme to collect, process, and store information related to mountain development for timely retrieval and dissemination. To have a wider and formal access to existing information and for more effective sharing of such documented experiences, greater emphasis was placed on information networking.
Highlights
,Acquisition of Documents
The library acquired 370
new documents and now
has a total collection of
12,551.
Thirteen new serial titles
have been added and, in
total, we now receive 475
serials (journals, news
letters, etc).
Databm'e
The Books' Datahase acqUired 863 more rewrds,
increasing the total number to 11,710
The Serial'i' Dataha..ie received 502 relOrd') of
current titles and these were updated.
A data input sheet was tinalised for the Institutional
Datahase. Guidelines for filling in the data input
sheet were also developed.
Documentation Services
Four issues of ' New Documents in the Library' and
24
Linkages - exhibition and sale of lCIMOD publications
eight i<;sue of 'New St>riab In thto Libn ry' Wtf ~
published.
An annotated Bibliography on 'Womt"n in Mountain
Development' was prep,ned and published in
collaboration with the Population and Employment
Programme of ICIMOD. This covers 633 references
from China, India, Nepal, and the ICIMOD library.
In response to specitic demands from readers,
retrospective searches of the Books' Database were
provided. Short bibliographies containing a total of
1,856 references were provided.
Networking and Information Exchange
!An Expert Group Meeting on Information
Networking in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region
was organised from 23 to 26 June, 1992, in Beijing,
China, in collaboration with the Documentation and
Information Centre, Chinese Academy of Sciences
(DIC/CAS)!. The participants were from Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, India, Nepal, and Pakistan. The
purpose of the meeting was to discuss the
establishment and operation of a mountain
development information network. All participants
at the meeting expressed the desire to join
ICIMOD's Information Network.
A Memorandum of Understanding was signed with
the Pakistan Agricultural Research Council,
designating the Technology Transfer Unit of the
National Agricultural Research Centre, Islamabad,
as the National Focal Point (NFP) for Pakistan in
ICIMOD's Information Network. This is the second
NFP within the Network. The first NFP is
DIC/CAS, China.
A Training Course on Information Exchange for
Chinese librarians was held in Beijing from 27 June
to 2 July, 1992. Its purpose was to familiarise the
librarians with the use of computers for information
handling and management The participants were
trom Institutions that would be potential members of
the National Network 'on Mountain Development in China. I
Additions to ICIMOD's Mailing List are depicted in
the bar chart below.
ADDITIONS TO THE MAILING LIST Regional Countries 1990 - 1992
250~-----------------------------------------'
200
150 ........................... - .... " ~--....
100
50
25
1990 11 1992
Natural Resources' Assessment and Monitoring
The Implementation Pha')e of MENRIS commenced in 1992. A Financing Strategy for the Mountain Environmental and Natural Resources' Information System (MENRIS) has been developed in consultation with interested donors. The founding sponsor, the Asian Development Bank (ADB), will provide the necessary funds to support project staff and nodal establishment in Nepal, Ban ladesh, and China for a two-year period. The UNDP will provide additional funds for the Nepal node. The f'ederal Republic of Germany will provide two year~' support for project staff and for e-;tablishment of national nodes in three additional countries. The programme is al80 continuin to build up collaborative rase studies and training with existing bilateral/multilateral projects. The reserve fund8 enerated from thes collaborative project activities will be used to support the national nodes and for continuing with the
programme beyond 1995.
Highlights
Training
Human Resource Development in ICIMOD member
countries and also at ICIMOD, through training in GIS
application and development of applied case studies on a
collahorative basis, has been the major objective.
Emphasis was placed on training because of the relative
Training in GIS
26
newness of the technology and in light of its application
possibilities in planning and decision-making.
Training materials were developed for three groups of
audience: policy-making, professional, and technical. All
these materials have noW undergone a second review by
the Asian Development Bank, Environmental Systems
Research Institute (ESRI), Asian Institute of Technology
(AIT), Clark University, and UNIT AR.
The table on the next p,I!'e
~ummari!>es the traming al tivltl -;
completed m 1992.
By Dele-mber, 1992 I tot I
numher of c)() profes~lun II t 01
elgUt mt'mber l'ountr -; hi
received traininp.; i (,IS
t nC(lurar~ wider u of GI,)
tool tor integrat~ an Ilyw;
collahorative case stulhes with
hilateral/multilateral project.,/
institutions have been under
taken. The table bdow
summarises the completed dnd
ongoing case studies.
GIS Case Studies Undertaken in 1992
COMPLETED
Service Centres (Lalitpur District) UNDP/NPC
Mini/Micro-hydel GTZ/Min. of Water Resources
Dhading. District-Carrying Capacity GTZ/Min. of Local Development
Eco-zonation Programme I. ICIMOD
ONGOING
Upper Arun Watershed
KoshiZone
Hill Tracts
Melamchi Watershed
Gorkha District
Livestock-Kabhre District
Forestry-Lalitpur District
Integrated Area Dev. Bagmati Zone
Network Establishment
The objective of this activity is to build up the
institutional capability to use GIS technology for
integrated analyses. With a network established in
member countries, the multisectoral digital data set of the
Hindu Kush Himalayas can be built up gradually. The
implementation activities include two cycles of training,
district-based case studies, and provision for tiw GIS
stations.
Network establishment aetivitie~ for Nepal, Bangladesh,
and China wae planned for 1992. The Nepal node is no\\
complete and operational. A MEN RIS staff member is on
the National Stet:ring Committee for GIS. Tht' Centre is
actively assisting 10 line agencies to network with the
National Planning Commission. The tirst cycle of training
for Bangladesh was completed In October. The
pal1icipants included district level ofticers and tive
institutions. The tirst cycle of training for China was
completed in December.
Planning Commission, CAS hasa
NPC/UNDP
Chittagong/Sylhet Board, Bangladesh
Department of Mines/GT7
Ministry of Local Development/GTZ
Department of Livestock/GTZ
Department of Forest/FINNIDA
NPC/ICIMOD
Database and Application
Three internal studies commenced in 1992, viz, (i) macro
level overlay of time series NOAA satellite data over the
HKH to monitor macro ·environmental parameters on a
scale ot 1: I million; (ii) district-level - overlay of
landsat/SPOT satellite data over multi sectoral distnct
datahase to monitor natural rtsources and socio('~onomlc
paramders on a seait' of 1 :';0,000: ana (iii) urh.I'l
applic atiun - to use GIS for utility, huusinr, .lnd
environmental planning on a scale ot I :5.000 (in 1993).
fhese studies will he l'ompldea In 99" 'Ird t'l '
methodology wi I be disst"millateo for ust" by the natiunal
nodes in the member countnes. fhe Programme ha" now
established contacts with oVt:r 500 institutions and
individuals who are active in the GIS tield in the region.
The Programme has provided GIS briefings to ICIMOD
country representatives and donors, numbering more than
500 people, in 1992. To disseminate the technology and
assist with activities in 1992, MENRIS began to publish
a bulletin and introduced a MENRIS Case Study Series.
27
Area Development Planning and Implementation
Under this programme, the main ongoing activity has been the Bagmati Zone Economic and Environmental Development Study.
The Bagmati Area Study Team has focussed on the following activities during this final year of the project: field work; analysis of linkages and interaction between natural resources and the regional economy; identification of alternative development options; preparation of regional economic and environmental plans; and workshops at various levels to discuss the finding8.
Highlights
District-level field work by the Study Team was organised
with the objective of:
a) reviewing completed, ongoing, and planned
e) based on the above inputs from different sectoral line
agencies, to organise a workshop that will focus on
providing distnct-Ievel economic and environmental
priorities and programmes as inputs into the Eighth
Development Plan of Nepal (1992-1997).
development activities; A tirst round of field visits in all the districts was
completed with the purpose of explaining the project and
b) identitication of sub-district, spatial characteristics for its objectives to various agencies in the districts. It also
delineation of ecological hot spots, poverty pockets, provided an opportunity to assess the existing infonnation
and areas suitable for intensive development;
c) assessment of basic service conditions and future
requirements;
d) evaluation of natural resources and environmental
conditions; and,
base at the district level which, unfortunately, turned out
to be extremely poor.
The second round of tield visits had the following
objectives:
i) to mobilise all appropriate
distnct-Ievel agencies to
develop their respediv..'
sectoral assessments and
indicate priority progra
mmes tor the dIstrict; and
ii) for the study team tu assess
distrIct-level comhtlOns
regarding specific economic
and environmental problems
and activities.
Increasing urbanisation and depletion of natural resources
Both the National Planning
Commission and the Ministry of
Local Development requested all
district agencies to cooperate and
28
1
I
assist in this exercise. District-level inputs in different
areas have started to come in and the team is currently
examining these inputs. These district-level exercises
took time to complete because district-level elections were
held in late May, 1991, and the district agencies
delayed making decisions concerning their future
priorities.
Carrying (apacity AnalysIS (C( A)
Sustainable development in the context of using natural
resources has emphasised the need for maintaining the
stock of natural assets. This further implies that the use of
natural resources should either be limited to their net
sustainable yield or that the available stock should not be
depleted over time. Anything else would be seen as
unsustainable. In many of the developing countries, where
the bulk of the popUlation depend upon the direct use and
availability of natural resources (for food production,
fuelwood, livestock, fodder, etc), where the popUlation
growth is already quite high and the stock of natural
resources low or declining, sustainable development, at
least in terms of the use of natural resources, appears to
be a tall order. However, in the past, little systematic
work had been undertaken to quantify these natural
resources .. popUlation - and economic activity linkages,
even based upon relationships that have been fairly well
understood. Without a proper understanding of these
interactions and their impacts, the true significance of
natural resources, including an identification of the most
desirahle interventions (on a sustainable basis), will not be
of the Bagmati Zone and a similar framework will be
used to analyse the prevailing conditions in Kabhre,
Sindhupalchowk, Rasuwa, Nuwakot, and Dhading
districts, which are broadly similar in terms of their
economic and environmental conditions; the analysis for
Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur will be modified to
account for the greater role of non-agricultural sectors.
The issue of environmental pollution rather than the loss
of natural resources per se will be more important in
these cases, although the role of natural resources cannot
be discounted.
S,·tticment S}\'/el1L.<;, ~mall fowns, and RuraL Urban
Lin/wges in Bagmatl 70m
One of the major characteristics of ongoing
socioeconomic changes is the rapid transformation in
settlement systems with more and more people now
moving out of rural areas and permanently settling in
urban areas. Increasing urbanisation is a process that will
continue to grow over time and this has many important
economic and environmental implications. First, the
transfer of population out of rural areas is likely to reduce
some of the pressure on rural natural resources as living
styles in urban areas are somewhat different from rural
areas. Second, urban areas are different from rural areas
in many respects. They have a diversified demand
structure that plays an important role in the transformation
of the agricultural systems of rural areas from primarily
subsistence-oriented systems to systems that are market
oriented. This is important for increasing rural incomes to
easy to determine. reduce pressure on natural resources. Third, urban areas
create non farm employment opportunities that can again
With this in mind the Integrated Regional Economic and have a positive impact on the use of rural resources. In
Environmental DeVelopment Planning exercise for the the context of Improving human resource conditions, also,
Bagmati Zone has undertaken an analysis to demonstrate urban areas provide more and better services than rural
the changes over time in the carrying capacity of some
major natural resources. Variables such as population
growth are also heing taken into account. A simulation
analysis hased on a multi-market model was developed to
reflect the conditions prevailing in the hill farming
systems found in the Bagmati Zone.
areas. Another important consideration in the context of
the Bagmati zone is the role that smaller market towns
can play as satellite towns in reducing the growing
population pressures on the Greater Kathmandu Valley
Region. This study on Settlement Systems, Small Towns,
and Market Centres was undertaken with the objective of
assessing some of these roles and functions of the smaller
The analysis is being completed for all the eight districts urban centres in the study region.
29
30
Other Exercises Nearing Completion Bagmati team is currently engaged in an integrating
exercise, particularly in identifying priorities both on a a) District Economic and Environmental Protiles. The short- and long-term basis. One of the important issues
Study Team has given maximum attention to the
preparation of District Protiles in order to provide a
tinn and reasonable basis for designing integrated
economic and environmental development plans. These will be completed in 1993.
b) Environmental Problems and their Management in
Kathmandu Valley. Some reporting on the
environmental problems in Kathmandu Valley has
already been given in previous Annual Reports The
emerging is management of the cultural resources of the
valley for sustaining tourism development vis-a-vis the
haphazard growth of urbanisation and manufacturing with
their significant environmental impacts and consequent
adverse effects on the development of tourism. Another
important issue is the weak institutional capacity to
manage urbanisation and the urban environment. The
Study Team is carefully examining these and related issues.
Institutional and Professional Development
A number of special activities were undertaken as individual research projects.
Highlights
"ExploratIOn of Genetic Diversity in the Himalayan
Honeybee, Apis arana f " Bl-ekeepmg Project. Pnnllpai
Invl'~tlr.:ator· Prof L. R. Vurna
Resean:.h..J\"'£l omplishmt. nt~
Genetic Diversity Research. Genetic diversity
research on the Himalayan honeybee, Apis cerana,
was organised through the use of computer-assisted,
biometric multivariate analysis and molecular
techniques. So far, this research work has, for the
tirst time, successfully identified three sub-species,
namely, Apis cerana cerana, Apis cerana himalaya,
and Apis cerana indica from the Indian and Nepalese
Himalayan regions. The Apis cerana found in the
Himalayan parts of lumla (Nepal) and Kashmir match
the European honeybee, Apis mell(fera, in commercial
use value and have a spectacular potential for further
genetic improvement through selective breeding and
molecular research.
Genetic diversity data
generated th rough the
present research work have
created considerable inter
national rest"arc h intert:c;t
amon!'st bte scientists, so
much so that this bee species
is now being con<;idered as a
valuable genetic resource not
only in its HKH habitat but
also globally. Currently,
genetic diversity research is
in process in other parts of
Asia, e.g., Bangladesh,
Bhutan, Pakistan, India,
Nepal, and Vietnam.
Survey work on beekeeping with Apis cerana reveals
that this bee species is on the decline throughout its
range as a result of replacement by the more prolific
and exotic ApIs meLLifera, habitat alteration, and
indiscnminate use ot biocides, diseast"s, and hon'y
hunting method~. Through considerable rese.lrch and
development, d framework for conservation of thi.
bee species has been developed by the Pnncipul
Investigator and will be disseminated widely .
ii) Bee Pollination Research. To close the research gaps
on pollination technology, field experiments on the
role of Apis cerana in enhancing vegetable (radishes,
cauliflowers, cabbages, and lettuces) seed production
in the Kathmandu Valley of Nepal were conducted in
collaboration with the Vegetable Seed Production
Project, FAO/HMG. The floral biology of the
vegetable crops in relation to bee pollination has been
studied in detail.
Foraging behaviour data revealed that the native, Apis
ceralla, has distinct advantages over Apis mellifera for
the pollination of agricultural crops. These includ >
Beekeeping demonstrat ion to potent ial beekeepers
31
longer working hours, early initiation of foraging at the HMG/Nepal and FAO Vegetable Seed Production
activity even at SOc outside environmental Farm in Khuma,ltar was held to demonstrate the
temperatures, short flight range, low cost of colony advantages of bee pollination for vegetable seed
management, no foraging competition with other
native insect pollinators, and co-evolution of this bee
species with native crops.
Research data on the qualitative and quantitative
effects of Apis cerana pollination on the above
vegetable crops revealed significant increase in the
fruit set, number of seeds per siliqua, weight of seed,
and germination percentage, thus boosting the overall
seed production quality by 30 to 35 per cent through
bee pollination practices alone.
iii) Apiary Management and Behavioural Research.
Apiary management and behavioural research includes
studies on the economic and biological characteristics
of Apis cerana. On the basis of these research results,
a package of appropriate beekeeping practices/
recommendations, especially for extension workers
and farmers, is being prepared with a view to
increasing the productivity and pollination activities of
Apis arana.
Training Activities.
The Principal Investigator of the project organised two
beekeeping training camps to train trainers and farmers in
collaboration with HMG' Nepal/FAO Seed Production
Project and Himal Bee Concern, a private beekeeping
NGO. About 100 beekeepers, vegetable seed growers,
women social workers, technicians, and extension
workers attended these camps Several of these trainees
were provided with bees, bee keeping equipment. and the
necessary technical follow up advice to ensure tht, success
of these training camps.
Fidd Demonstration Support.
In the HKH Region, the role of bees and of beekeeping,
as important biological inputs for enhancing the yield and
quality of agricultural crops, have often been
underestimated. To close this gap, a tield demonstration
32
production. This demonstration was visited by hundreds
of farmers, extension workers, and scientists over a
period of two months.
A small demonstration apiary located at the ICIMOD
compound in Jawalakhel has also benefitted several
farmers, extension workers, and NGOs.
Net\\-orkmf. and Information rx~ range.
This project has been very successful m networking
beekeeping research and development activities in the
seven ICIMOD countries and outside. Collaborating
institutions in the research work of this project include
Departments of Agriculture, Livestock, and Vegetables,
HMG Nepal; Himal Bee Concern, R. Labb (NGO) ,
Nepal; Department of Biosciences, H.P. University,
Shimla; Departments of Agriculture and Horticulture of
Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh, India; the
Central Bee Research Institute, Pune, India; Department
of Agriculture, Royal Government of Bhutan; Pakistan
Agricultural Research Council of Pakistan; Institute of
Beekeeping Research, Beijing, China; and the Swedish
Beekeepmg Project in Bangladesh.
The Principal Investigator of this project has also been
rendenng adVIsory/consultancy services in beekeeping
research, development, and training to different national ,
bilateral, and :nternational projects throughout Asia
Beekeepmg is now becommr an Important component ot
the activities supporting sustainable mountain agricultur<,
and integrated rural devdopment Several seminar
paper~, journal contributions, and manuals have been
produced.
"Indigenous Systems qf Forest Res(Jun e Managenunt.
Cases From Far western Nepal" Ram B. Cheltri and
T ulsi R. Pandey
Traditional systems of forest resource management have
been attracting increasing attention, primarily because
Household visits and group interviews were the methods used to collect information
conventional, government-controlled management of
forest resources in the mountain areas of Nepal has been
unable to keep pace with the rapidly increasing pressures
The study provides descriptions
of the characteristics of user
groups in two districts of Baitadi
and Achham in Far-western
Nepal. The existence of
indigenous systems for forest
protection and harvesting of
forest products indicate a long
and continuing history of local
resource management. The
extent to whICh these are
effective is not only determined
by local tactors, but also by the
nature of government forestry
programmes, The study
produced a number of important
findings; these have already
been published in book form.
on the fast-depleting forest resources. As an alternative "Internal Pressures and E-xternal Linkages: The Dynamics
institutional mechanism for improving the sustainable use of Adaptation in a Remote Mountain Village" - Bihari K.
of forests, there was a strong need for generating better Shrestha
understanding of indigenous user-group operations in the
management of forest resources. Local user groups are This study, 'A Revisit To Diyargaon', is a comparative
being seen as critical, and yet the structure, organisation, analysis that documents changes and adaptations in a
and functions of user groups actively managing forest remote mountain village in Far-western Nepal. Comparing
resources are not well understood. User groups vary conditions seen 20 years ago with those prevailing today.
depending upon biophysical environments, production the analysis examines the changes evident in the natural
systems, and sociocultural contexts. The ohjective of this resources, socioeconomic characteristics, and institutional
study was to undertake a comprehensive review of user arrangements. The findings from this ,>tudy are due for
group operations in selected areas of Far-western Nepal. puhlication in 199'L
33
36
The Board of Governors (as of December 31,1992)
REGIONAL BOARD MEMBERS
Major General M.A. Rahman, Chairmal1 Chairnlan of Chittagong Hill Tracts Devdopment Board
Dasbo (Dr.) Kinzang Dorji Department of Agriculture
Prof. Liu Dongsbeng The Chinese Academy of Sciences
Mr. R. Rajamani Ministry of Environment and Forests
0. Soe Kyi Forestry Department
Dr. J.P. LJpadbyaya Ministry of Education and Culture
Mr. A.Q. Kazi Ministry of Science and Technology
INDEPENDENT BOARD MEMBERS
Mr. Remo Gautscbi, Vice-Chairman Swiss Development Cooperation (SDC)
Dr. Klasjan Beek International Institute for Aerospace Survey and Earth Sciences (ITC)
Dr. Harka (;urung Director, Asia and PacifiC Dtvelopmcnr 0: nrc (Kuala Lumpur)
Dr. Li Wenbua FAO Rtgiom I Wattr.,hcd Managemen, Project
Dr. A.N. Purobit G.B. Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development, Almora
Prof. Win fried Von LJrff Institut fur Agrarpolitik Technischce Universitat, Munchen
Dr. E.F. Tacke Director General (ex-officio)
Bangladesb
Bbutan
Cbina
India
Myanmar
Nepal
Pakistan
Switzerland
"Ietherlands
Nepal
China
India
Gel·many
ICIMOD
The Professional and Senior Administrative Staff of ICIMOD (as of December 31, 1992)
Far-reaching changes occurred in the administrative structure ofICIMOD in 1992, as a result of the Centre's pursuance of a decentralised working policy. At the Directorate level, the Director General is now supported by a Director of Programmes and a Director of Administration. In addition, at the 18th Meeting of the Board of Governors, which took place on the 30th of November and the 1st of December 1992, the Board made a number of deCISIons that will affect administration and management of programmes in the futurt...
During the course of the year a number of protcssional staff completed their contracts and left ICIMOD, eIther to jOIll
other organisations involved in international development or to return to their home-country organisations. Among the professional staff leavlllg ICIMOD in 1992 were Dr. Hikmat Bista, Mr. Saroj Basynet, Mrs. Prabha Thacker, and Dr. Kk Panday. Mr. Anwar Ali Chaudhry, Head of the Mountain Infonllation Exchange (programme V), returned to Pakistan in October and Mr. Lakpa Tsering, Head of the Mountain Infrastructure and Technology Programme (Division III), returned to Bhutan in July. Ms. Priya Trosuwan of the Travel Section also left the Centre in late 1992.
The final departure in 1992 was that of Mr. Surendra Shrestha, Head of MENRIS, who left the Centre on December 28 to become the Head of the UNEP-GRID Office in Bangkok. Mr. Shrestha had joined ICIMOD in 1985 as Chief Administrator and during 1992 he served as Acting Director of Administration and head of MENRIS.
Directorate Dr. E.F. Tacke Dr. Mahesh Banskota Mr. Ronald H. Dery
Director General Director of Programmes Director of Administration and Finance
Mountain Farming Systems Dr. N.S. Jodha ' Division Head Dr. Tej Partap Mountain Agroecologist Mr. Sugandha Shrestha Animal Husbandry Specialist Dr. L.R. Verma Apiculturist Prof. Lu Rongsen Mountain Horticultural Scientist
Population and Employment Dr. Pitamber Sharma Act. Division Head
Mountain Infrastructure and Technology Mr. Suresh Sharmd E:::nergy Economist
Mountain Environmental Management Prof. Pei Shengji Division Head Prof. Suresh Raj Chalise Mountain Ecosystems' Specialist Mr. Balram Bhatta Forest and Watershed Mngt.
Ms. Jeannette Denholm Mr. P.B. Shah Mr. A.R. Pathak Mr. B. Shrestha Mr. G. Nakarmi Mr. J.K. Subba
Specialist Forester Land Use Analyst Hydrologist GIS Specialist Geomorphologist Socioeconomist
Documentation and Information Exchange
Area Development Planning and Implementation Dr. Kamal Banskota Resource Economist Mr. Surya Man Shakya Environmental Mngt. Specialist Mr. Bikas Sharma Agricultural Economist Mr. Narendra Khanal Geographer Mr. A.K. Thaku Cartographer
Natural Resources' Assessment and Monitoring Mr. Pramod Pradhan Systems Analyst Mr. P.K Kotta GIS Analyst Ms. Ma Sein Mya Environmental nformation
Specialist Mr. lafer Karim Water Resou'ces' SpeCIalist Mr. Basanta Shrestha E:::lectronics E-l:1gineer Mr. Rainer Schmidt Cartographer
Finance and Administration Mr. Milan Raj Tuladhar Mr. Ruben Subba Mr. C.B.S. Kansakar
Publications' Unit Ms. Greta Rana Ms. Archana Karki
Chief Accountant Administrative Officer Administrative Officer
Editor Assistant Editor
37
Income and Expenditure Account The financial management of the Centre is implemented through the establishment of Core Funds and Project Funds. All unrestricted contributions made by sponsors and member countries are credited to the Core Funds. All restricted contributions, made by sponsors, governments, and non-governments sources, for specific projects are credited to Project Funds.
Core Fund Source of Fund His Majesty's Government of NEPAL
Federal Republic of GERMANY
Government of SWITZERLAND People's Republic of CHINA
Government of INDIA
Government of PAKISTAN Royal Government of BHUTAN
People's Republic of BANGLADESH
Federal Chancellary of AUSTRIA
Sale of Assets
Other Income
Opening Balance
EXPENDITURES Programme Cost
Support Cost
Directorate Cost Termination Cost
Total Expenditures
Closing Balance
Project Fund
TOTAL
TOTAL
-=----:-::----;--- - --Source of Fund Netherlands
FORD
ADB
IDRC
FAO
UNESCO
AKF
GTZ
SOC
EEC
USAID MacArthur
Others
Opening Balance
EXPENDITURES Total Expenditures
Closing Balance
TOTAL
TOTAL
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 29,504 24,24324,028 39,841 17,523 10,987 11,737 11,737
798,500 680,041 735,807 715,530 568,967 629,186 555,212 &35,040 163,120 340,000 283,907 325,697 424,210 367,403 254,577 349,200 20,000 50,930 19,158 18,380 14,836 20,000
94,608 80,319 92,958 46,479
4,044
93,175
22,755
47,048
5,820
10,186
67,771
23,879
26,766
55,363
(38,684)
23,771 5,895
9,614
22,280
88,169
12,276
105,605
(47,305)
17,136
3,873
20,188
10,000
222,000 222,965
158,052
(140,915)
214,539 160,847
1,108,343 1,208,695 1,202,328 1,204,832 1,191,863 1,084,256 1,189,466 1,690,995
1985 670,292
252,092
116,323
1986 1987 760,605 889,093
305,031 238,166
119,616 120,230
1988 607,312 331,832
246,769
1989 1990 628,917 563,368
311,370 372,957
302,035 345,397
1,038,707 1,185,252 1,247,489 1,185,913 1,242,322 1,281,722
69,636 23,443 (45,161) 18,919 (50,459) (197,466)
1,108,343 1,208,695 1,202,328 1,204,832 1,191,863 1,084,256
1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990
22~,347 233,209 141,633 114,869
1991 462,839 305,214
260,565
1992 523,959 424,965
333,828
187,985
1,028,618 1,470,737
160,848 220,258
1,189,466 1,690,995
1991 1992 fotal
153,382
313,262 313,262
167,000 1,032,440
260,319 468,011 443,777 682,554 428,188 2,282.849
10,430
14,643
3,204
33,779
16,092
24,400
21,018
3,.100
261,781
23,570
5,209
21,397
77 869
6,600 129,327
2,401
194 7.069
154,974 188,384 13~ 765 16fl,484
7,109 7,633 71,579
(1:),960) 156.370
32,304
338,787
52,630
241,130
3: ,276
221,322
69,001 8,856 2,<,19
<;9,725
109,261
22,961
35,465
265,653
179,722 435,824
5,000
7,000
6,052
27,726
64,768
49,156
05,000
66,693
72.214
77,869
,.'7,556
137,007
rll,375
72,117
65,000
49,46:1 286,900
138,179 1,369,661
32,182 269,275 928,632 1,089,472 904,530 1,120,525 1,429,618 1,500,536 7,274,770
1985 48,285
(16,103)
1986 104,026
165,249
1987 415,687
512,945
1988 823,611
265,861
1989 691,712
212,818
1990 707,663
412,862
1991 1,291,438
138,180
1992 TOTAL 1,043,221 5,125,643
457,315 2,149,127
32,182 269,275 928,632 1,089,472 904,530 1,120,525 1,429,618 \1,500,536 7,274,770
Note: Opening and closing balances may vary because of the different cxclumge rates being used and adjustments for the closing
projects.
38
CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL INCOME (In US Dollars)
Thousands
800
600
400
200
o 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
• CORE Members. CORE Sponsors . PROJECT Sponsors • OTHER Incomes
CONSOLIDATED ANNUAL EXPENDITURE (In us Dollars)
Thousands
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992
PROGRAMME Costs • SUPPORT Costs o DIRECTORATE Costs
• PROJECT Expenses • OTHER Costs
40
l+ice »aterhuuse
83! 1 , Giliander House Netall Subhas Road
. Cillcuna . 700 001 PO Box 2238
I elephone 20·900112131416 20·0166
Telex (021 )2)76 T elecopler (33) 202420
Auditors' Report to the Board of Governors of
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
We have examined the accompanying financial statement of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development comprising Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Fund Balances as of 31st December 1992 and Operating Statement for the year ended that date, which have been signed by us under reference to this report. Our examination was made in accordance with generally accepted auditing standards, and accordingly, included such tests of accounting records and such other auditing procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances.
The financial statements have been prepared on the basis of accounting policies described in Schedule 7 to the financial statements. On such basis, in our opinion, the financial statements give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the Centre as at 31 st December 1992 and the results of its operation for the year ended on that date.
Kathmandu 12th February, 1993
n
~ YVv \.t-- )'" 'tv( .2.)-J;w'VL-~' PRICE WATERHOUSE
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Statement of Assets, Liabilities and Fund Balances
Fund Balances
General Reserve Opening Balance
As of 31st December, 1992
Schedule Reference
Project Cost Recovery for Institutional Support
Balance deficit transferred from Operating Statement
Closing Balance
Miscellaneous Reserves
Special Support Project Funds Unspent Balances Less Carried Forward Expenses
Net Balance
Current Assets
Cash in hand Cash at Bank
Current Accounts Time Deposits
Advance and Deposits
Less Current Liabilities and Provision
Accounts Payable Provision for Severance Pay
Net Current Assets
Deferred Revenue Expenditure (To the extent not written off or adjusted)
Significant Accounting Policies
Notes on Financial Statements
TOTAL
TOTAL
7
8
Nepalese Rupees
6,852,100
2,995,153
(464,288)
9,382,965
15,085,672
25,508,055 (6,026,412)
19,481,643
43,950,280
70,462
4,052,956 42,597,550
3,989,176
50,710,144
5,739,662 1,197,194
6,936,856
43,773,288
176,992
43,950,280
Director of Administra' n and Finance
US Dollar Comparative
160,847
70,309
(10,898)
220,258
354,124
598,781 (141,466)
457,315
1,031,697
1,654
95,140 999,942 93,643
1,190,379
134,734 28,103
162.837
1,027,542
4.155
1,031,697
This is the Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Fund Balance referred to in our Report of even date.
r ~e, It\-'?\.t 0"- 1tvv~ Kathmandu 12th February, 1993
PRICE WATERHOUSE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
41
42
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Operating Statement for the year ended 31st December, 1992
Income
Remittances from Donors Other Income
Expenditure
Programme Cost Support Cost Directorate Cost Termination Cost Deficit Transferred from
Completed Projects
Deficit for the year being excess of Expenditure over Income
Less: Operational Reserve written back
Balance deficit transferred to General Fund
Significant Acccounting Policies
Notes on Financial Statements
Schedule Reference
4 5 6
2 3
Nepalese Rupees
56,044,912 5,841,178
61,886,090 ----_ ...... ----- -
22,252,610 18,103,522 14,221,092 8,008,125
68,029 -------------------
62,653,378 --------------
(767,288) 303,000
--------------------(464,288)
--------------7
8
US Dollar Comparative
1,315,609 137,117
1,452,726 -------- ------
522,362 424,965 333,828 187,985
1,597 -------------------
1,470,737 --------------
(18,011) 7,113
------------------(10,898)
--------------
~fA:~n and Finance
This is the Operating Statement referred to in our Report of even date.
Kathmandu 12th February 1993
f J1/V U- Yv Yvvho,vt V
PRICE WATERHOUSE CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Schedules forming part of Flnancial Statements
for the year ended 31st December, 1992
Nepalese Rupees ----------------
1 . Miscellaneous Reserves
Exchange Equalisation Reserve 11,715,009 Fixed Assets Reserve 889,186 Personnel Reserve 655,190 Publications Reserve 838,040 Building Reserve 988,247
----------------15,085,672
. . ======
2. Remittances from Donors (For unrestricted Core Support)
His Majes~rs Government of Nepal Deutsche essellschaft fur
500,000
Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) 27,052,680 Swiss Confederation/UNESCO 14,875,920 People's Republic of China 852,000 Government of India 1,980,000 Government of Pakistan 860,000 People's Republic of Bangladesh 426,000 Federal Chancellary of Austria 9,498,312
----------------56,044,912 ------------
3. Other Income
Interest on Time Deposits 1,500,536 Professional Services 1,918,303 Seminar Support 27,128 Vehicle Use 744,854 Communication Fadl ities 426,707 Reprographics 320,011 Miscellaneous Income 898,449 Scrap Disposal 5,190
---------------5,841,178 ----_. - -- -
US'Jjoliar Comparative
---------
275,000 20,874 15,380 19,672 23,198
----------------354,124
------------
11,737
635,040 349,200 20,000 46,479 20,188 10,000
222,965 ----------------
1,315,609 ------------
35,224 45,030
637 17,485 10,017 7,512
21,090 122
----------------137,117
-----------
43
44
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Schedules forming part of Financial Statements
for the year ended 31st December, 1992 (continued)
4. Programme Cost
Professional Staff Short Term Staff Travel Meetings Field Study Supply and Services Communications Utilities
5. Support Cost
Administrative Staff Operational Building Rent and Maintenance
6. Directorate Cost
Remuneration Board of Governors Meetings Travel Recruitment Cost Director Search Communications Others
Nepalese Rupees --------_ .. -
15,988,489 860,605
1,937,954 90,525
139,340 2,537,352
468,750 229,595
----------------22,252,610 ======
12,130,320 4,305,934 1,667,268
----------------18,103,522 ------------
6,361,464 2,721,649
206,184 1,716,468 ! ,347,274
314,675 1,553,378
14,221,092 ------- ---
US Dollar Comparative
-------------
375,316 20,202 45,492
2,125 3,271
59,562 11,004 5,390
_ .. _-------------522,362
======
284,749 101,078 39,138
----------------424,965
------------
149,330 63,888
4,840 40,293 31,626 7,387
36,464
333,828 --_. ----_ ...
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
7. Significant Accounting Policies
General:
The Centre operates as a non-profit making, autonomous institution.
Basis of accounting: ---------------------------
All income are accounted for on cash basis and all expenditure are accounted for on accrual basis
Functional and Reporting Currencies: -------------------------------------------------
The contributions are received in functional currencIes of the donor's country or in US ·Dollars. The reporting currency is the Nepalese Rupee and the financial statements are expressed in Nepalese Rupees.
Foreign currency translations: ---------------------------------------
(i) Assets and liabilities are translated from functional currencies and US Dollars to the reporting currency at the official exchange rate of Rs. 42.60= US $ 1 as applicable in December 1992. Income and expenditure are translated at official rates prevailing on the 1 st day of the transaction month. Exchange gains or losses are transferred directly to Exchange Equalisation Reserve.
(ii) The US Dollar comparatives have been translated at the aforesaid rate of Nepalese Rupees 42.60 = US $ 1. Hence these comparatives do not necessarily reflect the actual transaction in US Dollars.
Severance Pay liability: -------------------------------
Severance Pay Liability for the General and Auxiliary Staff is estimated and provided in accordance with the Centre's staff regulations and is based on the as~umption that the entire liability is payable as on 31st December, 1992.
Fixed Assets: -----------------
Cost of fixed assets purchased during the year is first set off against Fixed Assets Reserve and the balance, if any, is charged off in the accounts of various projects and core operation. Memorandum records are, however, maintained for all fixed assets in use where those are stated at cost at the date of acquisition or at fair market value at the date of donation (if received by way of gift). Depreciation on Fixed Assets although calculated in memorandum records, the same is not considered in the Operating Statement. Adjustments for short and excess found in physical verification are also made in memorandum records.
45
46
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Deferred Revenue Expenditure: ----------------------------------------
The expenses for running and maintenance of Apartment Complex are carried forward every year after adjustment of recoveries for use of such Apartment Complex by the Project personnel, 'visitors and employees of the Centre. 10% of the opening balance of such Deferred Revenue Expenditure is charged off to revenue every year.
Sundry Recoveries: -------------------------
Recoveries on account of use of cars, computers, telex, telephone, stationeries etc. for private purpose are recognised as income. Recovery of overheads for institutional support cost from special support project expenditure at predetermined agreed rates are allocated to following reserves at the
rates indicated below:
(i) (ii) (iii) (iv)
General Reserve Personnel Reserve Fixed Asset Reserve Publication Reserve
Specuu Support Projects: ---------------------------------
@ 64% @ 14% @ 19% @ 3%
100%
(together with sale proceeds of fixed assets) (together with sale proceeds of publications)
Total of contributions received for Special Support Projects is shown under "Fund Balances" net of expenditure on such projects. Similarly, aggregate of expenditure incurred in excess of contributions received for special support projects is carried forward to set off against contribution receivable or expected to be received in future years. The deficit/surplus (where permissible) on Special Support Projects is finally transferred to Operating Statement on completion of projects
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
8. Note!; on Financial Statements
a. Fixed Assets:
In accordance with the policy of the Centre:
i) Out of the total cost of fixed assets purchased during the year amounting to Rs. 5,574,964, Rs 3,191,583 has been set off against Fixed Assets Reserve, and the balance amount of Rs. 2,383,381 has been charged off in the accounts of various Projects artd Core operation.
ii) Sale proceeds of Fixed Assets amounting to Rs. 1,410,453 has been credited to Fixed Assets Reserve.
Details of Fixed Assets as per Memorandum Records as at 31 st December, 1992 are'
At Cost/Valuation
in Rs. in US$
Vehicles 7,444,956 174,764
Computers 18,417,528 432,336
Office Equipment 7,684,598 180,390
Furniture 3,016,424 70,808
Total 36,563,506 858,298
b. Change from Approved Accounting Policy:
Core Fund Account Receivable.'
Annual contributions from donor countries/agencies for Core and Other Contributions for Special Support Projects as per accounting policy of the Centre are accounted for on a cash baSIS. However, advances and deposits includes an yearend balance of an earlier year's contribution from the People's Republic of China amounting to Rs. 90,908 (US$ 2,134) which continues to be held in trust by them and will be adjusted against settlement of payments in China by the Centre in future.
c. Change from last year's Accounting Policy
----~~-------------------------------------------
Severance Pay Liability
Unlike previous years, Severance Pay Liability to the extent of Rs. 1,197,194 for the General and Auxiliary Staff is estimated and provided in accordance with the Centre's staff regulations and is based on the assumption that the entire liability is payable as on 31st December 1992.
47
48
d. Reserves
i) In keeping with the Centre's accounting policies:
Fixed Assets Reserve has been utilised as indicated in Note a(i) above.
Personnel Reserve Rs. 939,153 (US $22,046) has been utilised for Terminal payments; balance of such payments has been reflec~ in these accounts as Termination cost.
ii) In accordance with Board of Governors' resolution of December 1992, an amount of Rs. 11,715,009 (US $ 275,000) has been retained in Exchange Equalisatiorf Reserve and the balance of Rs. 863,247 (US $ 20,264) has been transferred to Building Reserve.
iii) In accordance with the Director's approval (pending ratification by Board of Governors) Operational Reserve Rs. 303,000 (US $ 7,113) has been written back in these accounts.
~
ADB
APROSC
AIT
CAS
CAPES
CHIRAG
DIC/CAS
ESRI
FAO
GBPIHED
GIS
GRID
GTZ
HKH
HMG/N
HPHPMC
IDRC
IIRR
IMS
INSAN
KIB
LCWHS
MENRIS
MRE
MRM
NERRA
NFP
NPC
NGO
NWFP
PFI
PRA
RWG
SALT
SDC
SPWD
UBC
UNCED
UNDP
UNEP
UNESCO
UNITAR
UNU
USAID
WECS
Abbreviations and Acronyms
Asian Development Bank
Agricultural Projects Services' Centre (of Nepal)
Asian Institute of Technology
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Centre for Applied Economic Studies (University of Peshawar)
The Central Himalayan Action Group
Documentation and Information Centre, Chinese Academy of Science
Environmental Systems' Research Institute
Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations
The GB Pant Institute for Himalayan Environment and Development
Geographic Information Systems
Global Resource Information Database
Deutsche Gesellschaft fur Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GMbH
The Hindu Kush-Himalayas
His Majesty's Government of Nepal
The Himachal Pradesh Horticultural Produce Marketing Corporation
International Development Research Centre
International Institute for Rural Reconstruction
International Mountain Society
Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Nepal
Kunming Institute of Botany
Low-cost Water Harvesting System
Mountain Environmental and Natural Resources' Information System
Mountain Risk Engineering
Mountain Resource Management
Nepal Rural Reconstruction Association
National Focal Point
National Planning Commission
Non-government Organisation
North West Frontier Province
Pakistan Forest Institute
Participatory Rural Appraisal
Regional Working Group
Sloping Agricultu-al Lard ~ec."'nology
Swiss Development ('ooperation
Society for the Promotion of Wasteland Development
University of British Columbia
The United Nations' Conference on environment and Development
United Nations Development programme
United Nations Environmental Programme
United Nations Organisation for Education and Culture
United Nations Institute for Training and Research
United Nations University
United States Agency for International Development
Water and Energy Commission Secretariat (of Nepal)
49
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