SANDEE Secretariat

Join us for SANDEE-ICIMOD Karl-Göran Mäler Memorial Lecture 2026: two compelling talks on climate resilience and women's empowerment. 🎙 Lecture 1: From Climate Risk to Resilience: Nepal’s Banking Sector and Sustainable Development With about 37% of Nepal’s population is exposed to climate-related risks, how Nepal’s banking and financial sector is responding supporting renewable energy, and helping communities build resilience? Speaker: Gunakar Bhatta, National Planning Commission of Nepal Moderator: Mani Nepal, ICIMOD 🎙 Lecture 2: Electrifying Empowerment: Women and Energy Access Drawing on coordinated studies and a randomised control trial in Myanmar. Speaker: Subhrendu K. Pattanayak, Duke University Moderator: Soumya Balasubramanya, World Bank 📅: 12 June 2026 | 09:05–11:30 AM (Nepal Standard Time) Register now: icimod-org.zoom.us/meeting/r… Date and Time: 08:35–11:00 AM (Afghanistan) 09:20–11:45 AM (Bangladesh) 09:20–11:45 AM (Bhutan) 11:20 AM–01:45 PM (China) 08:50–11:15 AM (India) 08:50–11:15 AM (Myanmar) 08:20–10:45 AM (Pakistan)

The SANDEE@25 conference is bringing together researchers and practitioners from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region and beyond, to share insights on how environmental economics can help governments, policymakers, and communities address South Asia’s most urgent challenges – from biodiversity loss, to climate impacts, ecosystem change, pollution, forest restoration, livelihoods, and the deep relationship between mountains and people. The conference will explore these challenges, centred on the theme ‘development, environment, and mountains,’ marking SANDEE’s 25-year journey, and highlighting its contribution to research, development and capacity building in environmental economics. SANDEE@25 is a space to share evidence, strengthen collaboration, and innovative ideas that can create real impact for communities across the HKH. Hosted by ICIMOD, the conference will take place from 12–14 December 2025 in Kathmandu, Nepal. In-person participation is by invitation only, with the keynote speeches also available online for our worldwide audiences. Join the four hybrid keynote speeches online, live on ICIMOD’s Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube channels. Look out for our posts on the keynote speeches. #SANDEE@25 #EnvironmentalEconomics @FromSANDEE

SANDEE Research Grant 2026: Call for concept notes Open call for research concept notes on environmental and resource economics in South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region. The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE), a research capacity and academic leadership development network of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), invites research concept notes responding to policy gaps in the areas of environmental and resource economics related to the development of South Asia and the HKH region. Concept notes should: - be aligned with the following strategic areas of ICIMOD’s work: (1) Climate and environmental risks (2) Resilient economies and landscapes (3) Regional action and global advocacy - be policy and practice relevant and demand driven Who can apply? - Junior to mid-career professionals employed by a university, a research institute, or a similar institution in South Asia and the HKH region, including government agencies and non-profit research organisations. - Women professionals (e.g. academics, researchers, and practitioners) from and working in South Asia and the HKH region are encouraged to apply. Learn more and submit your concept note here: icimod.org/sandee/sandee-res… Deadline for submission of concept notes is 31 December 2025. #SANDEE #2026researchgrants

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) is the UNFCC’s negotiation-based framework and collection of projects for low- and middle-income countries. With the ‘+’ sign added to the acronym, the REDD mechanism brings forest carbon stocks into the spotlight by issuing carbon credits to countries, organisations, or individuals for offsetting their carbon footprints. REDD+ carbon credits are conditional – not merely on performance for emissions reduction, but also on demonstrating that performance would not have been same without the financing. To know more read the full blog: blog.icimod.org/regional-act… Watch the full SANDEE- ICIMOD Karl-Göran Mäler Memorial Lecture by Prof. Erin Sills of North Carolina State University: youtu.be/5SBYBs6jrNE

Since the 1990s, nearly 1.5 million springs in the Indian Himalaya have been disappearing. Reviving springs is urgent. But are the costs of revival worth the benefits from it? A cost-benefit analysis of springs revival by a group of economists from the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) reveals the multifaceted benefits of investing in spring revival. Household monthly gains worth USD 12 on account of access to safe water can go a long way in ensuring water, food, health and livelihood security of the mountain communities and in preserving the delicate ecosystems of the region. To know more, read the full report here: doi.org/10.53055/ICIMOD.1096 This report is supported by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) under the Strengthening Climate Change Adaptation in Himalayas (SCA-Himalayas) project. #WorldWaterWeek #SpringRestoration #SANDEE #HKH #SCAHimalayas #WaterSecurity #ClimateResilience @SwissEmbassyIND @Mani_Nepal @SanjeevBhuchar @FromSANDEE

Ready to make a difference and build your skills? ICIMOD is offering two exciting internship opportunities to support the SANDEE@25 conference. Communications Intern: Are you a storyteller? Help us capture the moments and key insights from the conference by curating photos, drafting content, and promoting the event. Admin Intern: Are you a master of organization? Your support will be crucial for the conference's success, from managing participant data to handling travel logistics and administrative needs. If you're interested in joining a dynamic team and contributing to a meaningful event, we want to hear from you. #ICIMODJobs #Internship #Hiring #JobOpportunity #SANDEE #SANDEE25

Register now to hear the latest on Forests, Finance & the Future, next Tuesday, 1 July.   This year’s annual flagship SANDEE-ICIMOD Karl-Göran Mäler Memorial Lecture, the focus will be on ‘REDD+’ - Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation.   REDD+, which was set up by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) in 2008, incentivises developing countries to protect forests.     With deforestation the second-largest global cause of greenhouse gas emissions, and scientists saying we risk passing the 1.5ºC global goal governments signed up to in the Paris Agreement in a matter of years, reducing greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation and forest degradation has never been more urgent.     With more governments, and impact investors, looking to incentivise forest conservation, it’s an important moment to learn the lessons of over 15 years of REDD+.     Next Tuesday, join us to hear the incredible role performance-based conservation finance can play in our futures, with case studies from across South Asia and beyond from Erin O Sills, Edwin F Conger Professor and Head of the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University, North Carolina, United States. The lecture forms the key moment in the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) biannual research and training workshops, which takes place in Sri Lanka.   It is the only event during these SANDEE research capacity and academic leadership development programmes that are open to the public, with the lecture delivered in honour of Karl-Göran Mäler, one of SANDEE’s founders.   Register now to attend virtually: icimod-org.zoom.us/meeting/r…  Date and Time: 1 July 2025 | 09:00–10:35 (Sri Lanka Standard Time)   07:30–09:05 AM (Afghanistan) 
 09:30–11:05 AM (Bangladesh) 
 09:30–11:05 AM (Bhutan) 
 11:30 AM–01:05 PM (China) 
 09:00–10:35 AM (India) 
 10:00–11:35 AM (Myanmar) 09:15–10:50 AM (Nepal) 08:30–10:05 AM (Pakistan)  #REDD+ #SANDEE #ICIMOD @FromSANDEE

JOIN US TODAY ONLINE TO UNDERSTAND FORESTS AS PILLARS OF RESILIENCE “It’s not just trees that fall - it’s a whole web of relationships between species, soil, water, and people that unravels. Once disrupted, these relationships can’t simply be ‘replanted.’ We need proactive resilience building now, rooted in science, justice and long-term thinking," Dr. Craig Allen, Resilience Scientist and Professor at the School of Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln. This #WorldEnvironmentDay, ICIMOD invites you to join the online launch of a major new global assessment report on forests, published today: Forests as Pillars of Social and Economic Resilience. Global experts from science, policy, and practice will present key findings of the International Union of Forest Research Organizations’ assessment – which warns of ‘undoable destruction’ to societies and economies without major policy shifts. The online webinar will present the ways in which: 🔹forests contribute to social and economic resilience in the face of disturbance and change 🔹societies can support and steward resilient forest systems Forests as Pillars of Social and Economic Resilience explores for the first time the role of forests in upholding and enhancing the resilience of social and economic systems. Science shows that regardless of proximity to forests, global economies and societies rely on forests in deeply complex ways, and political shifts can leave forest socio-ecological systems extremely vulnerable. With current ‘business as usual’ approach in policies influencing forest management, forests are being pushed to brink of collapse, which could send ripple of effects across the globe, and destabilising societies and economies. ICIMOD’s Mani Nepal, Senior Coordinator, South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE), one of the co-authors of the report, said, “Strengthening Forest governance, ensuring equitable access and benefit sharing, and integrating sustainable forest management into climate and development policies are essential for building resilient communities amid growing environmental and economic challenges. This global assessment also identifies critical knowledge gaps that warrant further research—offering valuable insights for policymakers, researchers, and practitioners alike.” Dr. Nelson Grima, Coordinator of the Science-Policy Programme at IUFRO, said, “When we destabilise forests, the impacts can be felt across all regions and economies. Forests are everyone’s business - not just those living nearby. Every person relies on forests to either regulate their climate, sequester carbon, or to alleviate poverty, ensure food and clean water or to keep economies stable. It’s not about proximity.” Read the full report: iufro.org/media/fileadmin/pu… Webinar details 📆05 June 2025, 2PM CEST (online) Webinar Registration - Zoom: us02web.zoom.us/webinar/regi… 🔹4.30PM – Afghanistan Standard Time 🔹6.00PM – Bangladesh Standard Time 🔹6.00PM – Bhutan Standard Time 🔹8.00PM – China Standard Time 🔹5.30PM – India Standard Time 🔹6.30PM – Myanmar Standard Time 🔹5PM – Nepali Standard Time 🔹7PM – Pakistan Standard Time Hosted by International Union of Forest Research Organizations’ (IUFRO) Science-Policy Programme

Submission deadline is approaching–don't miss your chance to apply. Your chance to shape the future of development and environmental economics. For 25 years, the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics’ (SANDEE) has built the pipeline of development and environmental economic talent in this region. To mark this milestone, with its mission more urgent than ever, SANDEE is inviting scholars, researchers, and policymakers to submit papers and/or panel session for a flagship international conference to be held at ICIMOD’s Kathmandu headquarters 12-14 December 2025. Keynote speakers at the International Conference on Development and Environmental Economics: SANDEE@25 include: → Sir Partha Dasgupta, SANDEE co-founder and Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics, Cambridge University → Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Research Fellow Emeritus, International Food Policy Research Institute → Adil Najam, President WWF International, Dean Emeritus, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University The conference will shed light on the critical intersection of development, environment, and mountains in South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, focusing on issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, inequality, and socio-economic challenges. Visit the event page to submit papers or panel session proposals: icimod.org/initiative/sandee… Deadline for submission: 31 May 2025 (23:59 GMT +5:45) #SANDEE25 #EnvironmentalEconomics #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateChange #SouthAsia #HinduKushHimalaya

Your chance to shape the future of development and environmental economics. For 25 years, the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics’ (SANDEE) has built the pipeline of development and environmental economic talent in this region. To mark this milestone, with its mission more urgent than ever, SANDEE is inviting scholars, researchers, and policymakers to submit papers and/or panel session for a flagship international conference to be held at ICIMOD’s Kathmandu headquarters 12-14 December 2025. Keynote speakers at the International Conference on Development and Environmental Economics: SANDEE@25 include: → Sir Partha Dasgupta, SANDEE co-founder and Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics, Cambridge University → Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Research Fellow Emeritus, International Food Policy Research Institute → Adil Najam, President WWF International, Dean Emeritus, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University The conference will shed light on the critical intersection of development, environment, and mountains in South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, focusing on issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, inequality, and socio-economic challenges. Visit the event page to submit papers or panel session proposals: icimod.org/initiative/sandee… Deadline for submission: 31 May 2025 (23:59 GMT +5:45) #SANDEE25 #EnvironmentalEconomics #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateChange #SouthAsia #HinduKushHimalaya

Your chance to shape the future of development and environmental economics. For 25 years, the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics’ (SANDEE) has built the pipeline of development and environmental economic talent in this region. To mark this milestone, with its mission more urgent than ever, SANDEE is inviting scholars, researchers, and policymakers to submit papers and/or panel session for a flagship international conference to be held at ICIMOD’s Kathmandu headquarters 12-14 December 2025. Keynote speakers at the International Conference on Development and Environmental Economics: SANDEE@25 include: → Sir Partha Dasgupta, SANDEE co-founder and Frank Ramsey Professor Emeritus of Economics, Cambridge University → Ruth Meinzen-Dick, Research Fellow Emeritus, International Food Policy Research Institute → Adil Najam, President WWF International, Dean Emeritus, Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, Boston University The conference will shed light on the critical intersection of development, environment, and mountains in South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region, focusing on issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, pollution, inequality, and socio-economic challenges. Visit the event page to submit papers or panel session proposals: icimod.org/initiative/sandee… Deadline for submission: 31 May 2025 (23:59 GMT +5:45) #SANDEE25 #EnvironmentalEconomics #SustainableDevelopment #ClimateChange #SouthAsia #HinduKushHimalaya

📢 #WeAreHiring Want to be a force for positive change in mountain regions? ICIMOD is seeking a motivated individual to be part of our dynamic team in the following positions: ● Coordinator: Air Quality ● Intervention Manager- Regional Information Services To apply: icimod.org/get-involved/vaca…

How does heat impact work and income in India? Join us for a fascinating lecture by Prof. E. Somanathan, who will explore how rising temperatures affect labour, output, and income in India – especially for the most vulnerable. Moderated by Dr. Sheetal Sekhri, this lecture is part of the 48th biannual SANDEE-ICIMOD workshop. Speaker: E. Somanathan Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, and founding head of CECFEE. With his research spanning environmental economics, development, and politics, Somanathan has contributed to IPCC reports and advised the Government of India on environmental policy. Moderator: Sheetal Sekhri Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. As a leading economist studying water in the developing world, Sekhri has written prolifically about water stress in India combining theoretical arguments with empirical evidence. REGISTER NOW: icimod-org.zoom.us/meeting/r… ABOUT THE LECTURE: icimod.org/event/regional-ac… #ClimateEconomics #HeatImpact #Equity #KarlGoranMalerMemorialLecture @FromSANDEE

How does heat impact work and income in India? Join us for a fascinating lecture by Prof. E. Somanathan, who will explore how rising temperatures affect labour, output, and income in India – especially for the most vulnerable. Moderated by Dr. Sheetal Sekhri, this lecture is part of the 48th biannual SANDEE-ICIMOD workshop. Speaker: E. Somanathan Professor at the Indian Statistical Institute, Delhi, and founding head of CECFEE. With his research spanning environmental economics, development, and politics, Somanathan has contributed to IPCC reports and advised the Government of India on environmental policy. Moderator: Sheetal Sekhri Associate Professor of Economics at the University of Virginia. As a leading economist studying water in the developing world, Sekhri has written prolifically about water stress in India combining theoretical arguments with empirical evidence. REGISTER NOW: icimod-org.zoom.us/meeting/r… ABOUT THE LECTURE: icimod.org/event/regional-ac… #ClimateEconomics #HeatImpact #Equity #KarlGoranMalerMemorialLecture @FromSANDEE

As over 20 young researchers from South Asia prepare to meet their mentors for this year’s winter research workshop with the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE), here are some of our past grantees and advisors sharing their experience with the network. “If SANDEE were not there, then it was almost impossible for me as an individual to gain that kind of technical knowledge.” – Resham Thapa, Nepal “It was a platform that brought together all the people of South Asia and specifically the Hindu Kush region, who are committed to the cause of working for the people and environment of this particular region. Because it’s like a small family, it’s where I found a feeling of home.” – Sabina Yasmin, India “If you look at the Indian Society for Ecological Economics, more than 50% of its board members are actually original SANDEE-ites.” – AK Enamul Haque, SANDEE Advisor Meaningful, evidence-based research takes time and resources. SANDEE’s biannual research grant offers: ✅ Grants ranging between $20,000 and $30,000 ✅ An opportunity to conduct rigorous multi-year research ✅ Mentorship and technical support ✅ Networking opportunities SANDEE has been active for 25 years: 🔹Founded by renowned economists such as Sir Partha Dasgupta and Karl-Göran Mäler 🔹Focusing on the economics of environmental change and economic development 🔹Conducting multidisciplinary research towards clear policy demands 🔹Researchers and institutes from 10 South Asian countries, 250+ research grants, 300+ leading experts Our summer 2025 research grant call ends on 31 December. Submit your proposal now 👉 icimod.org/sandee/research-g… We’re also hosting an exciting online lecture on how rising temperatures affect labour in India. Register now 👉 icimod.org/event/regional-ac… #ClimateEconomics #HeatImpact #Equity #KarlGoranMalerMemorialLecture @FromSANDEE