A five-day Asia High Summit is beginning here on Monday to discuss key mountain development issues.

Over 500 researchers, academicians, policy makers, and development experts will discuss key mountain issues in four different cities amidst the world’s highest mountain ranges that include Kathmandu, Nairobi, Milan and Mendoza.

One of the key features of the summit is that each regional conference will be able to interact through video conference and share key findings and issues with one another. The papers to be discussed are online at www.highsummit.org to allow virtual audience to e-mail in their questions.

The conference seeks to draw attention to the challenge of poverty and degradation of resources faced by the mountain people and to recommend how to improve mountain life.

The conference is being organised by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) in partnership with the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation and the Italian Committee for the International Year of Mountains 2002.