Envisioning youths as drivers of stronger Nepal

Imagine in fifteen years from now a small crop of young leaders coming from across Nepal, young professionals with a

When the government becomes inactive

Nepal, renowned for its rich cultural and natural heritage, boasts four UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the Kathmandu Valley (1979), Sagarmatha

Decoding the deferral

In July 2025, during the 47th session of the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in Paris, Nepal’s bid to inscribe Tilaurakot,

Nepal’s flawed afforestation campaign: From fruitless plantations to biodiversity decline

Nepal, a country renowned for its rich biodiversity and Himalayan landscapes, faced significant deforestation challenges in the mid-20th century. By

Critical legal studies: How it reflects Nepal’s political reality

As a faculty member teaching Jurisprudence at a government university in Biratnagar, I once delivered a lecture on Critical Legal

International Solar Alliance and ICIMOD to accelerate solar energy deployment in the Hindu Kush Himalaya

Colombo, Sri Lanka: The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the International Solar Alliance (ISA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to foster cooperation in scaling up solar energy solutions across the common member countries.

The MoU formalizes a strategic partnership aimed at promoting decentralized solar technologies, improving energy access in remote mountain communities, and supporting climate-resilient development in the common member countries. Through this collaboration, ISA—a treaty-based global intergovernmental organization dedicated to advancing solar power adoption for a carbon-neutral future—and ICIMOD will work together to identify scalable solar interventions across sectors, co-develop proposals, projects and programmes, strengthen technical capacity and technology transfer, and facilitate knowledge sharing and advocacy among common member countries.

Pema Gyamtsho, Director General of ICIMOD, stated, “This partnership with ISA marks a significant step toward bringing clean, reliable, and context-specific solar solutions to the mountains. It reinforces our shared commitment to sustainable energy transitions and climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya region.”

Ashish Khanna, Director General of ISA, emphasized, “Our MoU with ICIMOD, signed at ISA’s 7th Regional Committee Meeting in Colombo, supports our strategy to move from Ambition to Action through Productive Use of Renewable Energy (PURE) initiatives across the Hindu Kush Himalaya, beginning with the ISA Country Partnership Strategy for Bhutan as a pioneering model for mountain-focused renewable energy transitions, as part of our broader engagement.”

The partnership aligns with both organisations’ vision to accelerate the uptake of renewable energy, contribute to national climate goals and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and promote regional cooperation for a greener, more equitable future.