Institutional Knowledge Management is inadvertably overcoming the initial set backs and is now trying to standardize, consolidate and spread best practices. A whole new approach based on topic map has been emerging to use and share institutional knowledge widely. Standardized metadata describes context, characteristics, collection, and organization of data in standardized fashions by which the investment of valuable man hours is not lost in spite of human resource turnover in organizations.

In this context, my presentation is devoted to the management of the Mountain Knowledge management focusing on the Mountain GeoPortal (http://menris.icimod.org) framework which was formally launched on the occasion of World Environment Day 2006 by the MENRIS Division of the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, ICIMOD to share GIS/RS related environment and natural resources information. This is a major step towards fulfilling the long-term goal of establishing a regional and national Geographic Information Infrastructure (GII) in the region. In view of this, Spatial Metadata Management System (SMMS – ISO 19115) to handle spatial metadata has been linked with the GeoPortal system, but SMMS does not have the knowledge handling capabilities required to enhance knowledge management aspect of thematic areas of the region.

In this presentation SMMS and the knowledge management system in the context of the GeoPortal will be discussed. The usefulness of adopting ISO Topic Maps and the linkages with the internal and external resources within and outside the portal framework will also be discussed in detail.

The proposition underlying the presentation is mainly three areas: Harvesting metadata, choice of system architecture, catalogue services for handling and publishing of metadata entries. If tools, technologies and standards are brought together, are potentially corresponds and there can be common benefit to the HKH communities.