From 3rd to 5th , September, a delegation headed by Prof. Deng Wei, Secretary General of Chinese Committee on International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (CNICIMOD) was invited by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development(ICIMOD) to attend the inception workshop of Koshi Basin Programme(KBP)- PhaseⅠ in Kathmandu, Nepal . There are another 7 members in the delegation, Prof. Chen Ningsheng, and Prof. Fang Yiping from Institute of Mountain Hazards and Environment, CAS(IMHE), Prof. Zhang Yili, Prof. Yao Zhijun, Dr. Zhou Caiping , from Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resource Research, CAS(IGSNRR), Dr. Dong Qi and Dr. Ru Zhitao from Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS.

Koshi Basin originates in Tibet Autonomous Region of China, and flows through China, Nepal and India, is one of extremely important transboundary rivers in South Asian region. The preliminary work of the project in the basin was funded by the Bureau of International Cooperation, CAS, organized by CNICIMOD, implemented by IMHE, IGSNRR, Cold and Arid Regions Environmental and Engineering Research Institute, CAS, Chengdu Institute of Biology, CAS, ICIMOD and Central Department of Geography of Tribhuvan University, relevant administrations of Nepali government, the phased achievements have been made after nearly three years of concerted efforts, and successfully accepted by CAS in Beijing on 28th August. During the period of project implementation, the project team actively striven for the international fund in conjunction with ICIMOD to further the systematic research on Koshi basin and strengthen the multilateral scientific cooperation. 

Through unremitting efforts, KBP project is successfully funded by Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). PhaseⅠof KBP will be initiated in 2012 and finished in 2016, and devote to the multilateral cooperation, and enhance the recovery capacity of biological system to climate change and ability for poverty reduction in Koshi basin.

More than 50 specialists and scholars from Australia, Japan, China, Nepal, India, Bangaladesh and the international organizations attended the workshop, there are 6 special topics in the workshop, including data base of river basin, climate-water-agriculture, water related hazards, climate adaption, capacity building, project monitoring and so on, overall objective, achievement output, implement plan, the division of task and time node of the project had been discussed in detail to form a broad consensus consequently, which has laid down a solid foundation to further clearly identifying the task and division and successful implement in the next stage.

With the implementation of the KBP, the multilateral cooperation on transboundary river basin in Himalayas region will march on a new stage, through the in-depth research, it will provide scientific support for the basin’s development and management.

Workshop site(by IMHE)