ICIMOD Launches Bioeconomy Documentary and Compendium

Highlighting Sustainable Mountain Livelihoods

To mark World Environment Day 2026, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) launched a documentary film and a compendium of bioeconomy case studies showcasing how biodiversity-based enterprises are strengthening livelihoods, enhancing climate resilience, and promoting sustainable development across the Hindu Kush Himalaya.

The launch comes amid rising climate pressures across mountain regions, where communities are confronting accelerating glacial retreat, erratic rainfall, biodiversity loss, shifting agricultural cycles, and increasing economic vulnerability. These changes are reshaping traditional livelihoods and intensifying the need for resilient, locally driven development models.

Spanning eight countries and covering over 4.2 million square kilometres, the Hindu Kush Himalaya is among the world’s most important mountain systems. It holds the largest volume of ice outside the polar regions and supports more than 35,000 plant species, sustaining millions of people in both mountain and downstream communities.

ICIMOD’s new knowledge products highlight how a sustainable and inclusive bioeconomy can transform this ecological wealth into viable livelihoods. The documentary, “Exploring Green and Inclusive Entrepreneurship in Nepal and Bhutan,” features entrepreneurs and community groups in Nepal and Bhutan who are developing green enterprises rooted in biodiversity, traditional knowledge, and innovation.

Alongside the film, ICIMOD also released the compendium “Promoting Sustainable Bioeconomy Practices: Case Studies from the Hindu Kush Himalaya,” which documents 13 case studies from Bhutan, China, India, and Nepal. It highlights bioprospecting, circular bio-innovation, climate-resilient textiles, medicinal and aromatic plant enterprises, sustainable forest-based industries, and nature-based entrepreneurship models.

The compendium offers practical guidance for policymakers, researchers, development practitioners, and ent repreneurs seeking to scale biodiversity-based enterprises. It emphasizes how mountain bioeconomy initiatives can simultaneously support biodiversity conservation, climate adaptation, gender-inclusive livelihoods, and rural economic diversification.

ICIMOD defines  bioeconomy as economic activity based on renewable biological resources, including medicinal plants, forest products, and other nature-derived materials. It notes that such systems offer critical pathways for mountain communities to diversify income sources while ensuring ecological sustainability.

The publications were developed under the Himalayan Resilience Enabling Action Programme (HI-REAP), supported by UK International Development through the Climate Action for a Resilient Asia initiative. HI-REAP bridges biodiversity conservation, enterprise development, and climate resilience through startup incubation, policy engagement, and support for community-based enterprises.

The launch also featured nature-based business solutions developed by women-led enterprises supported under the programme, underscoring the growing role of women entrepreneurs in advancing sustainable development across mountain regions.

The event brought together governments, development partners, investors, and practitioners to explore how proven bioeconomy models can be scaled, replicated, and integrated into policy and investment frameworks across the region.

ICIMOD Director General Pema Gyamtsho said modern lifestyles are increasingly disconnected from nature. “Everything around us is becoming artificial, from the clothes we wear to the systems we depend on. It is important we reflect, reduce our environmental footprint, and rebuild a relationship with nature for the wellbeing of future generations,” he said.

One of the featured enterprises, Bio Bhutan, showcased its work in promoting nature-based products, sustainable sourcing, and community-driven value chains under the HI-REAP initiative. The enterprise noted that mentorship and technical support strengthened its packaging, labelling, and understanding of integrating biodiversity conservation with enterprise development.

Speaking to Business Bhutan, Ugyen, promoter of Biobhutan said conservation and economic development must go hand in hand to ensure long-term sustainability. Similarly, ICIMOD’s Rural Enterprise and Value Chain Specialist Anu Joshi Shrestha noted that the future economies of mountain countries such as Bhutan and Nepal must be greener, more inclusive, and more resilient.

The event was supported by the United Kingdom.

Sangay Rabten, Thimphu

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