Regional Conference on Sustainable and Resilient Mountain Settlements in the Hindu-Kush Himalaya

The Department of Human Settlement under the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, Royal Government of Bhutan in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) and the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), India, organised a regional conference on “Sustainable and Resilient Mountain Settlements in the Hindu Kush Himalaya” from 2-3 December 2025 at Thimphu, Bhutan.

The Regional Conference aims to deepen understanding of mountain settlements across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH). It seeks to create an enabling space for discussing transformative strategies that move beyond business-as-usual approaches toward sustainable, low-carbon, climate-resilient development pathways. The conference will promote dialogue across interdisciplinary and cross-cutting sectors, aligning with the individual and collective priorities of HKH countries and strengthen regional cooperation towards identifying and creating an enabling environment for sustainable and resilient mountain settlements.

The conference focuses on two thematic topics - a) vernacular architecture and use of local and nature-based building materials, b) management of solid waste, faecal sludge and water, sanitation and health (WASH) services.

It brings together governments and relevant stakeholders such as researchers, scientists, urban planners, development workers, policy think tanks and private sectors from the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) countries to foster collaboration and cross-learnings on green, resilient and inclusive settlements development in the mountains.