Introduction

The MENRIS division at ICIMOD is recognised as the UNEP Global Resource Information Database (GRID)- Kathmandu, was established in 1990 to provide timely usable environment data to researchers and policy makers. GRID-Kathmandu bridges the data and information gaps of the Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) region.

MENRIS is making significant contributions towards building the capacity of partners, developing mountain thematic databases, and delivering useful mountain-specific applications and decision support systems in collaboration with national partners and key international agencies. It also helps transfer of technologies pertinent to the GIS and Remote Sensing. Such a platform is considered a step towards fulfilling the long-term goal of establishing a regional and national geographic information infrastructure in the region.

As a GRID- Kathamndu node ICIMOD has been undertaking many collaborative projects like: Malé Declaration, Atmospheric Brown Cloud, Glaciers environment and climate change, collaborative assessment network, environment knowledge hub (eKH) and environment capacity building in Nepal to strengthen Ministry of Environment, Science and Technology.