ICIMOD - International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development
Strategic positioning and organizational health check
ICIMOD is the leading regional intergovernmental knowledge and development partner for the HKH region – a landscape vital to the sustainable future of nearly two billion people. Established in 1983 and headquartered in Kathmandu, with eight Regional Member Countries (RMCs) (Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal and Pakistan), ICIMOD serves as a convener and catalyst of sustainable mountain development and community resilience, combining rigorous knowledge generation and thought leadership with a strong focus on actionable impact.
The HKH is not only environmentally vulnerable, but also politically fragile and, in places, conflict affected. ICIMOD’s ability to convene countries around shared regional priorities — including climate resilience, disaster risk reduction, water security and ecosystem protection — is a significant institutional achievement The measures that ICIMOD’s member countries are able to take together to combat climate change, protect biodiversity and improve the environment and livelihoods of the HKH are all opportunities, not just to tackle serious cross-border issues such as flooding and water availability, but also, sometimes in relatively small scale and non-threatening ways, to demonstrate that joint participation and collaboration in the region is possible.
Open Cities was selected to carry out a strategic and organizational review of ICIMOD together with partners Agulhas Applied Knowledge, Athena and PEI. Marc Stephens led the team of 10 highly qualified consultants based in the region and globally to carry out the assignment. The interim results of the review were presented to the Board of ICIMOD, and donors, in Gangtok, Sikkim at the May 2026 ICIMOD Board meeting chaired by India. The Review’s final conclusions will be shared with the Board in September 2026.
