Development of an Assessment System to Evaluate the Ecological Status of Rivers in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan Region

The ASSESS-HKH consortium is a co-operation of Asian scientists from Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan and European scientists from Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. The project developed scientifically-based, but applicable tools for the detection and evaluation of affected river reaches. Individually, the aims were:

• Establishment of scientific partnership between European and Asian researchers in the field of sustainable development

• Better understanding of ecosystem structure and function in rivers of the Hindu Kush-Himalaya region.

• Development and application of an ecological assessment system based on benthic invertebrates, including a variety of tools for application.

• Dissemination activities for sustainable water management and river basin management planning.

Project website: www.assess-hkh.at