Basanta Shrestha, Director of Strategic Cooperation works at the International Center for Integrated Mountain Development with the key portfolio to provide strategic management leadership, private sector engagement and partnership development to bring about transformative change in ICIMOD’s mission. Mr Shrestha is well-known for his outstanding strategic leadership quality, an experienced manager and a team builder, and proven track-record of excellent networking of key individuals and institutions in the ICIMOD region and around the world. Under his leadership, he has developed highly successful partnerships with key regional and international agencies and implemented several programme towards sustainable mountain development in the Hindu Kush-Himalayan region. He has championed the successful partnerships with NASA to spearhead SERVIR- Hind Kush Himalaya programme – a flagship initiative to bridge science, technology and innovation to sustainable mountain development.  He has published a number of research papers, articles and publications on issues related to integrated development planning, impact of climate change in the Himalayan region, census mapping and indicators, geo-information and knowledge management, decision support systems, Himalayan atlas, hydrological atlas, environment assessment and natural resources management.