Biodiversity Conservation Initiatives

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Biodiversity Conservation Initiatives in Mt
Kangchenjunga and Mt Everest Transboundary
Complexes
Nakul Chettri
Second Training Workshop Biodiversity
documentation, Conservation assessment and Flora
writing skills 2nd November 11th November 2004
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HKH region
Member Countries Afghanistan, Bangladesh,
Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal Pakistan
3500 km long 4.3 million sq km area 150 million
people 6 major river basins Young
fragile mountains having rich cultural,
ecological and biological diversity Land use -
39 pasture, 21 forests, 11 PAs and 5
agriculture
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ICIMODs programme

• Focusing on the policies, regional cooperation,
  capacity building and knowledge sharing to
  overcome mountain vulnerabilities
• Integrated Programs
• Natural Resource Management
• Agricultural Rural Income Diversification
• Water Resource Hazard Management
• Culture, Equity Governance
• Partnership Policy Development - Cross-Cutting
• Information Knowledge Management - Cross-Cutting

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NRM programme
INNOVATIONS
Policy
Institutional
Technological
Poverty Reduction
Increased Productivity of Mountain Resources
Biological Conservation
Food Security
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NRM AIs

• Integrated watershed management
• Rangeland, pasture and livestock management
• Trans-boundary biodiversity management

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Importance of Eastern Himalayas

• Highly varied altitude, climatic and soil
  conditions make Eastern Himalaya environments
  extremely rich in biodiversity
• Eastern Himalaya among the worlds ten most
  critical centers for biodiversity and endemism
• In Kangchenjunga complex more than 6000 sq km
  area managed as PAs
• Eastern Himalaya listed as part of one of the 25
  the Global Biodiversity Hotspot

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Goal
Community based participatory conservation of
globally significant transboundary biodiversity
areas for sustainable development of the mountain
people
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Objectives
Prevent species extinction
Check genetic erosion among the species and
facilitate gene flow
Provide wider habitat for effective conservation
Integrate economic oppertunities with conservation
Enhance environmental security
Enhanced regional cooperation
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Linkages
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Approach
ParticipatoryBiodiversity research
Strategies and action plans
GIS and Remote sensing
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Kangchenjunga complex
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Participatory research
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Biodiversity Portal
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DEM

• Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM) , NASA
• 3 arc second (90m)

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Land Cover Mapping Feasibility assessment
Land cover (23 January 1977)
Land cover (26 December 2000)
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Change Analysis
Change in forest cover (1977 2000)
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Protected Area Linkages
Neora Valley Torsa Corridor
TSNR
NVNP
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Mt Everest Complex
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Thrust area
Identify different transboundary issues to
conserve trans-boundary resources in the Mt.
Everest - Qomolangma Nature Preserve in Tibet
and Sagarmatha National Park in Nepal Develop
strategies for Conserving the Mount Everest
Ecosystem and Sustaining Livelihoods Review
researches and use in Decision Support System
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Outputs

• Promoted exchange of views and information
• Established dialogue and cooperation between
  government officials and protected area
  administrations
• Increased cooperation and protected area
  coordination
• Established joint committees between
  transboundary protected areas

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Outputs-cont

• Organized joint training activities
• Collaborated in research, monitoring, and
  management technologies
• Promoted participatory management in
  transboundary conservation
• Published transboundary conservation issues and
  the experiences
• Decision Support System framework developed

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SNP-decision support system

• Basic topographic data
• Thematic data

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SNP-DEM
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SNP data- Satellite images
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SNP data- IKONOS Images
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Transboundary conservation issues

• Grazing across borders

• Poaching of animals

• NTFPs collection, especially high value medicinal
  plants

• Cross border forest fires

• Spread of livestock diseases

• Tourism issues

• Continuity of forest tracks missing

• Habitats and ecotones diminishing for threatened
  species

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Challenges and opportunities
Coordination of complex institutional
arrangements
Managing overlapping national/institutional
mandate
Balancing competing economic interest
Clarity and understanding in mutual benefits
Setting up common goal
Governance at local, national and regional level
Incentives and economic development
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My contact nchettri_at_icimod.org.np Our
web www.icimod.org
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Thank you