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In 2019, ICIMOD published the Hindu Kush Himalaya Assessment, the first definitive regional report on the status and future of the region that it is our mandate to protect. The report was crucial in forging a consensus among policymakers both regionally and globally about the climate vulnerability and significance of the people, nature and ecosystems within these mountains and its findings continue to guide much of work.
Importantly, in articulating the rapidly increasing magnitude and complexity of regional and transboundary challenges this region will face, it also paved the way for a complete reshaping of ICIMOD itself – the key overarching task to which ICIMOD committed itself in 2022.
With the full backing of our regional member countries, we embarked on an extensive consultation with governments, donors, partner institutions, and staff to ensure that the institution is fit-for-purpose for the decades to come. We are grateful to all our partners and supporters for their crucial contributions to the dramatic phase-shift this interrogation of our work and future direction has already unleashed.
Our Strategy 2030: Moving Mountains, the fruit of this consultation, made it abundantly clear that the escalating effects of climate change, water insecurity, increased disaster risk, biodiversity loss and widespread socio-economic change required transformative action, and that ICIMOD itself needed to overhaul its processes and focus to meet these needs.
Alongside our fifth medium-term action plan (MTAP V, 2023-2026) our Strategy outlines how we will rise to meet the challenges ahead – transforming ourselves institutionally to be agile and responsive, resetting our portfolio and reorienting all our work to focus relentlessly on impact. Both documents were informed by our gender audit and quinquennial review and align with the stated priorities and global commitments of our RMCs.
At the centre of this work has been the shift to a more streamlined structure: organising ourselves into three Strategic Groups (SGs) and six Action Areas (AAs), through which we will deliver our results, supported by a new resource mobilisation team, a revamped gender, equity and social inclusion and monitoring and evaluation functions, and much more ambitious communications, plus a commitment to build our digital and innovation capacity.
We are dealing with new and complex risks in our region, including cascading risks. Our work under Strategic Group 1 – Reducing climate and environmental risks – will focus on assessing and managing risks related to water, cryosphere, and air, especially those that are transboundary in nature. We aim to improve understanding and communication of risks, the testing and piloting of solutions, building regionally consistent and informed risk management strategies in varied hazard and vulnerability contexts, and strengthening institutions, policies, and actions for clean air. Our air pollution workstream will focus on co-developing and scaling cleaner and socially responsive air quality solutions and investments for reduction of air pollutants, while continuing to support RMCs in the uptake of solutions and air quality monitoring and assessments.
Scientists estimate that this decade is our best and last chance to save the planet from irreversible damage. Our work under SG 2 – Shaping green and inclusive mountain economies – focuses on understanding the implications of rapid socioeconomic, climate and environmental change on mountain livelihoods and delivering inclusive solutions for marginalised mountain communities. Our focus is on nature-based solutions and incentives for conservation stewardship, with indigenous peoples and local communities being key to achieving conservation targets for the decade. Our work on scenarios, anticipatory adaptation, and human settlements addresses emerging challenges created in the fast-changing climate and socioeconomic contexts of the HKH. Lastly, we will work to support and build the field of green livelihoods and enterprises, nurturing and sustaining inclusive, green, energy efficient, and circular businesses in the HKH.
The HKH still fails to command anywhere near the attention, or investment, that is commensurate with its significance or fragility. It is crucial we redouble our efforts to raise awareness of the unprecedented and largely irreversible threats the region faces by contributing to global processes, increasing our capacity to respond by building new alliances, and attracting greater resources to the region. Our work under SG 3 – Enabling regional and global mechanisms for sustainable action – focuses on strategic regional cooperation and collaboration to shape the global agenda and advocate on mountain issues in regional and international processes pertaining to climate, environment, and development. Together with enhanced global outreach on these issues, the work here will focus on building recognition of the HKH in global forums to attract investment in priority areas through our ‘Mountains of Opportunity Investment Framework’ and deliver a high-level institutional mechanism for regional cooperation and collaboration based on the models of Alpine Convention, Arctic Council, and the Carpathian Convention.
Rebuilding an institute of the scale and complexity as ICIMOD has not been without challenge. But this period of intentional interrogation, strategizing and change-management has left us with greater solidarity, accountability, and purpose than ever – and with an ICIMOD that is genuinely fit-for-purpose for the challenges ahead.
We are grateful to all our partners, donors and communities who have helped us achieve what we have in this plan period. While we reflected on the positives during the planning process, captured in the stories in this report, we encouraged honest feedback on shortcomings and areas for improvement. Based on the feedback and advice, we have created an MTAP that pushes us to be purposeful and responsive, and yet adaptive and agile, ensuring that we can better respond to and capitalise on emerging opportunities, thus enabling our work to move forward in stages from outcome to impact.
We are thankful to our Board and ISG members, focal ministries, partners, and donors for contributing to this vision for the decade, endorsing our Strategy 2030, and setting us on this path. We look forward to your continued support and guidance.
Assam, the largest economy in India’s northeast region, is home to some 2,000 brick kilns, many of which are unregistered and operate using traditional methods such as the ‘Fixed Chimney Bull’s Trench Kiln’ (FCBTK) and some clamp burning which are energy inefficient and polluting. As the brick-firing season kicks off every year, brick kilns on the outskirts of Guwahati, Assam’s state capital, belch out thick black plumes, made up of harmful particulate and gaseous air pollutants. The Pollution Control Board of Assam (PCBA) is keen to reinforce the central Indian government’s revised emission standards for the brick sector, which requires the brick sector to adopt the cleaner zig-zag technology as opposed to traditional methods. Zig-zag technology promises cleaner and more efficient burning of fuel, resulting in better-quality bricks.
Of the 2,000 brick kilns operating in Assam, hardly 20 have made the government-mandated switch to zig-zag technology. This technology involves stacking unfired bricks in a zig-zag pattern; when the bricks are fired, the air plumes are regulated in a zig-zag pattern, allowing a longer interaction with the stacked bricks and better heat transfer. This results in more efficient combustion, cleaner emissions, and ultimately, better-quality bricks. By adopting the cleaner zig-zag technology, brick entrepreneurs can save up to 20% on coal, and yield up to 90% ‘class A’ bricks which are top quality and demand the highest price, while also reducing emissions.
In March 2023, a team from ICIMOD comprising air quality specialists partnered with PCBA to organise a training on zig-zag technology for state pollution board officials and brick entrepreneurs from Assam, and other northeastern Indian states, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, and Tripura. At the three-day training, we introduced technologies and practices that can help replace traditional and polluting methods in brick kilns. The training covered theoretical and practical aspects, including raising awareness on the economic benefits of zig-zag technology; reducing fuel consumption and emissions; and operating the zig-zag technology, including firing, stacking, fuel selection, and application. In addition to ICIMOD and PCBA resource persons, two master trainers and brick entrepreneurs from Nepal led the training – Bikram Ratna Bajracharya and Rajkumar Lakhemaru – with the Nepal Federation of Nepal Brick Industries (FNBI).
“Done right, zig-zag kilns belch out white smoke, as opposed to black smoke from traditional kilns,” says Rajkumar Lakhemaru, a veteran brick entrepreneur with 40 years of experience under his belt.
White smoke, which is indicative of more complete combustion, is often considered ‘cleaner’ than black smoke – a sign of incomplete combustion, resulting in lower heat and more visible pollutants. In the specific context of brick kilns, white smoke is preferable to black; however, we we must remain mindful that all combustion of fossil fuels pollutes the air, and white smoke does contain pollutants.
Notwithstanding, zig-zag technology is proven to be more efficient, thus reducing the amount of fuel burned and the time that combustion takes place. Since adopting zig-zag technology, Rajkumar Lakhemaru has not looked back since.
Besides imparting theoretical lessons, the two master trainers also demonstrated correct zig-zag brick-stacking and brick-firing techniques in the field at the HMB brick unit in Chandrapur, Assam. Though the HMB unit was an early adopter of zig-zag technology for their kiln, they still struggle to produce quality bricks or reduce coal consumption.
Pankaj Gupta, owner-operator of HMB brick unit and a participant at the training confides that their experiences with the zig-zag approach have been sub-optimal as they lacked the technical know-how in operating the technology.
He says, “The training was a definite eye-opener for us. Our fire masters and brick-stacking supervisors observed the right techniques in-person and will be able to train other brick workers. Through this intervention, we will be able to benefit fully from the technology.”
In view of the new legislation/directive from the central government of India and PCBA, brick entrepreneurs must retrofit existing FCBTK to zig-zag technology soon. Consequently, participating brick entrepreneurs actively sought inputs on retrofitting existing kilns to zig-zag, stacking and firing techniques. They appreciated experience sharing by FNBI master trainers and reached out to ICIMOD resource persons for training materials on the technology.
ICIMOD’s Senior Atmospheric Environment Specialist, Bidya Banmali Pradhan, shares that this model of south-south learning worked well in Nepal and Pakistan. Both Lakhemaru and Bajracharya have experienced the technology work first hand and are the best available promoters. With support from ICIMOD, they trained fellow brick entrepreneurs in 10 cities across Pakistan in 2018.
“This model to promote zig-zag technology was a resounding success in Pakistan. Therefore, we are scaling this approach in Assam,” she adds.
The workshop was a great success, with enthusiastic participation from the brick entrepreneurs, and participants commended PCBA and ICIMOD for the training. The local media also covered the event, helping to spread awareness about the importance of sustainable and efficient brick-making practices.
“This training is a good step forward in raising awareness on the need to switch to the cleaner zig-zag approach,” says Shantanu Kumar Dutta, Member Secretary, Pollution Control Board, Assam. He adds, “We will work with ICIMOD to develop guidelines for brick entrepreneurs to adopt the technology.”
Overall, the workshop and training session was an important step towards promoting sustainable and efficient brick-making practices in Assam and beyond. Our collaboration with the PCBA and the brick entrepreneurs, has laid the foundation for future partnerships that will continue to promote these practices and create a cleaner, more sustainable brick-making industry.
The training was organised under the framework of the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP) funded by the UK Government’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO). Immediately after the training, we organised a national stakeholder dialogue with brick and tile manufacturers in India to address social challenges in India’s brick sector and training on internal fuel application for brick manufacturers in Nepal to reduce coal consumption.
