International Conference on Development and Environmental Economics

The South Asian Network for Development and Environmental Economics Conference in 2025 1 was a defining milestone for the regional capacity development network that has fundamentally shaped how development and environmental economics are practised across South Asia.Organized on December 12-14, 2025, the three-day international conference brought together researchers, practitioners, and policy actors to discuss the theme "Development, Environment, and the Mountains".In the Hindu Kush Himalayas (HKH) and across South Asia, ecological change is accelerating, socioeconomic risks are becoming more complex, and institutions are increasingly being stretched beyond their capacity.These realities demand policy responses that are locally grounded, empirically rigorous, and transparent about their constraints.Over three days, the conference repeatedly returned to three core questions:1. How should sustainable development be understood when natural capital is being rapidly depleted?2. Which institutions and incentives shape effective environmental policy?