Search Climate Insights Directory

The HKH-Innovation Challenge for Entrepreneurs (ICE) 2.0, led by the Global Resilience Partnership (GRP) and ICIMOD, seeks for-profit innovations to enhance climate resilience in the Hindu Kush Himalaya. The program targets 12-15 enterprises, with a priority on youth- and women-led businesses, offering prizes between US$5,000 and $25,000 for implementation from May 1, 2026, to April 31, 2027. Selected winners receive a comprehensive support package including tailored mentoring, a Leadership Academy in Kathmandu, investment mobilisation assistance, and monitoring, evaluation, and learning (MEL) support. Eligible applicants must be legally registered in Bhutan, Nepal, India (Himalayan region), or Bangladesh (Chittagong Hill Tracts) and demonstrate a viable business model that promotes biodiversity and social equity without causing harm.

The Snow Leopard Population Assessment in India (SPAI) estimated a total population of 718 snow leopards across an occupied habitat of 93,392 km². The study utilized camera trapping at 1,971 locations and occupancy modeling across regions including Ladakh, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Conservation efforts highlighted include the establishment of 57 Protected Areas covering 34% of the snow leopard range and the proposed creation of a Snow Leopard cell for coordinated monitoring.