In celebration of its 25 years of service to the region, the South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics (SANDEE) welcomes you to the International Conference on development and environmental economics: SANDEE@25, to be held in Kathmandu, Nepal, from 12-14 December 2025.

The conference’s theme is ‘Development, environment, and mountains’ with key areas: biodiversity, climate, ecosystem, environmental pollution, forest restoration, livelihoods, mountains and people.

South Asia and the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region are facing severe impacts from climate change, biodiversity loss, and pollution. Socio-economic challenges, including inequality, poverty, unemployment, population growth, rapid urbanisation, and land use changes, are among the most pressing issues. At the conference, leading researchers from the HKH region and beyond will share insights to aid governments, policymakers, and communities to understand and address these pressing challenges.

About Sandee

SANDEE is a research capacity-building network of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) that uses economic tools and analyses to address environmental challenges that the region has been facing. SANDEE supports ICIMOD’s programmatic work and strengthens its economic and policy analysis, provides research and technical support, and offers mentorship to young researchers for enhancing their research capacity and academic leadership. Established in 1999, it works in ten countries in South Asia and the HKH region: Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

Important Dates

31 May 2025: Full paper submission (4,000-6,000 words) and Panel proposal submission (500 words)

31 July 2025: Notification of acceptance

1 September 2025: Registration deadline

Call for Submissions

We invite papers and panel proposals from academics, researchers, and policymakers to share cutting-edge research related to the conference’s key areas: biodiversity loss, climate change, ecosystem, environmental pollution, forest restoration, livelihoods, and mountains and people. All presentations and panel sessions will be held in person.

Each person can submit only one proposal, either a paper presentation or a panel. However, a separate form must be submitted for each paper and panel submission.

The submission deadline for full papers as well as panel proposals is 31 May 2025.

The author whose paper/panel is accepted must register for the conference by 1 September 2025 to have their paper/panel included in the programme.

For more information about the submission procedure, please contact us at sandee25@icimod.org.

Participation Grants

We have a limited budget to support some of the paper presenters or panellists. We are expecting the following three types of submissions.

Please indicate in the submission form the category you are applying for.

1. Presenters will be responsible for all costs related to attending the conference
2. Presenters will bear their travel expenses, while SANDEE-ICIMOD will provide hotel accommodation during the conference
3. SANDEE-ICIMOD will provide full support, subject to suitable justification, as the funding is limited.

Note: Conference registration is free to encourage the participation of young researchers.

Submit your paper / proposal on the official event website here, or click the “Visit event” button below.

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Cover photo by Kalle Kortelainen on Unsplash.