WORKING PAPER Agrobiodiversity in the Kangchenjunga Landscape Status, threats, and opportunities Copyright © 2021 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Published by Development (ICIMOD) International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 4.0 International License ISBN 978 92 9115 713 6 (electronic) (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Note Production team This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part Shradha Ghale (Consultant editor) and in any form for educational or nonprofit purposes Samuel Thomas (Senior editor) without special permission from the copyright holder, Rachana Chettri (Editor) provided acknowledgement of the source is made. Dharma R Maharjan (Graphic designer) ICIMOD would appreciate receiving a copy of any Punam Pradhan (Graphic designer) publication that uses this publication as a source. No Anil Jha (Editorial assistance) use of this publication may be made for resale or for any other commercial purpose whatsoever without Photos prior permission in writing from ICIMOD. Samuel Thomas, ICIMOD – p iii Nakul Chettri, ICIMOD – Cover photo The views and interpretations in this publication are those of the author(s). They are not attributable Citation to ICIMOD and do not imply the expression of any Aryal, K., Partap, U., Chaudhary, R.P., Pandey, opinion concerning the legal status of any country, A., Tandin, T., Uprety, Y., Gaira, K., Adhikari, R., Joshi, R., territory, city or area of its authorities, or concerning Wangdi, S., & Chettri, N. (2021). Agrobiodiversity in the the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries, or the Kangchenjunga Landscape: Status, threats, and opportunities. endorsement of any product. ICIMOD. This publication is available in electronic form at www.icimod.org/himaldoc Agrobiodiversity in the Kangchenjunga Landscape Status, threats, and opportunities Authors Kamal Aryal1, Uma Partap1, Ram P Chaudhary2, Aseesh Pandey3, Tandin Tandin 4, Yadav Uprety5, Kailash Gaira6, Rameshwar Adhikari7, Rajesh Joshi8, Sonam Wangdi9, and Nakul Chettri1 1 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) 2 Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology (RECAST), Tribhuvan University, Nepal 3 G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (GBPNIHE), India 4 Nature Conservation Division (NCD), Bhutan 5 Tribhuvan University, Nepal 6 GBPNIHE, India 7 RECAST, Tribhuvan University, Nepal 8 GBPNIHE, India 9 NCD, Bhutan Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative AGROBIODIVERSITY IN THE KL: STATUS, THREATS, AND OPPORTUNITIES i SECTION III | PAGES 6–14 Contents Findings SECTION IV | PAGES 15–16 Discussion PAGE ii SECTION V | PAGE 17–19 Abbreviations and acronyms Conclusions and way forward PAGE iiI PAGE 20–27 Acknowledgements References PAGE iv PAGE 28–35 Executive summary Annexes SECTION I | PAGES 1–2 Introduction SECTION II | PAGES 3–5 Methods IUCN International Union for Conservation of Abbreviations and Nature acronyms KL Kangchenjunga Landscape NTFPs Non-timber forest products NCD Nature Conservation Division GBPNIHE Govind Ballabh Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment RECAST Research Centre for Applied Science and Technology GIAHS Globally important agricultural heritage sites RDS Regional Database Initiative HKH Hindu Kush Himalaya UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and IBA Important bird and biodiversity area Cultural Organization ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development ii WORKING PAPER The documentation of agrobiodiversity in the Acknowledgements Kangchenjunga Landscape was possible due to our strong and long-standing partnerships with eminent organizations working in the landscape including GBPNIHE, RECAST, NCD, and ICIMOD’s We wish to thank all the respondents and community core donors from Afghanistan, Australia, Austria, members of the Kangchenjunga Landscape for Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Myanmar, Nepal, their insights and views on agrobiodiversity, which Norway, Pakistan, Sweden, and Switzerland. We proved crucial to our efforts to document the wish to express special thanks to the Department for status, challenges, and opportunities surrounding International Development, UK; the Federal Ministry agrobiodiversity in the landscape and their impacts of Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), on local livelihoods. Germany; and the Austrian Development Agency for their support to the Kangchenjunga landscape. We wish to thank Ghanashyam Sharma from The Mountain Institute, Pashupati Chaudhary from the We hope this document will serve as valuable Asian Disaster Preparedness Centre, and Sunita reference material for researchers, development Chaudhary and Tashi Dorji from ICIMOD for their workers, NGOs, academic institutions, and technical inputs to this report. Our heartfelt gratitude government line departments that are working to to former ICIMOD Deputy Director General, Eklabya promote conservation and the sustainable utilization Sharma (presently Vice Chancellor, Teri School of of agrobiodiversity in the landscape and beyond. Advanced Sciences, New Delhi, India), who provided valuable guidance to this publication. AGROBIODIVERSITY IN THE KL: STATUS, THREATS, AND OPPORTUNITIES iii Agrobiodiversity in the landscape has been declining Executive summary in recent years. Local people and researchers attribute this decline to both natural and anthropogenic pressures. Broadly, these drivers can be categorized as: i) environmental – e.g., climate change, land use The Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) region has a and land cover change, and invasive and alien species; great diversity of flora and fauna that supports ii) social – e.g., demographic change, urbanization, the livelihood and well-being of one fourth of and rural development; iii) economic – e.g., global humanity. The HKH hosts four of the 36 ‘biodiversity market, tourism, wildlife trade, and hydropower; hotspots’ of the world and is a storehouse of rich iv) cultural – e.g., erosion of culture, taboos, loss of agrobiodiversity. The Kangchenjunga Landscape traditional knowledge systems, customary practices; (KL) is a transboundary complex with an area of and v) governance and institutions. Factors that have 25,086 km2. It covers parts of eastern Nepal (21%), threatened agrobiodiversity in recent times include Sikkim and parts of northern West Bengal in India changes in consumers’ food preferences; replacement (56%), and the western and south-western parts of of traditional crops and varieties with higher yielding Bhutan (23%). It is home to about 7.2 million people ones; commercialization of agriculture; climate of different ethnic communities and social groups. change; introduction and promotion of improved The varied agro-climatic conditions in the KL support breeds of livestock; shortage of fodder resources; rich agrobiodiversity. Agrobiodiversity is the basis and shortage of labour due to outmigration of male of food, medicine, textile, fibre, fuelwood, and other members of the household. Unsustainable harvesting resources essential for human survival. This paper of important NTFPs and the absence of a legal focuses on plant, animal and fungi diversity, which is transboundary trade facility have also been identified a vital element of agrobiodiversity. as major constraints for ecological management in the landscape. The Kangchenjunga Landscape houses rich diversity of plants – including crops, wild edible species, and Decline in agrobiodiversity narrows down the food non-timber forest products (NTFPs); animals; and choices of mountain communities and affects their birds. Our study recorded 5,204 plant species, 242 food and nutrition security as well as their resilience animal species, and 618 bird species in the landscape. to change. However, the landscape has opportunity About 750 species of plants, both cultivated and wild, to revitalize traditional crops and native livestock, are used by the local people of the KL for various which can help people achieve nutrition security as purposes. These include cereals and pseudo cereals well as protect agrobiodiversity for environmental – including rice, maize, wheat, barley, buckwheat, sustainability and ecosystem resilience. This would and millets; oil seeds; beans and pulses; vegetables; require efforts in the areas of research, development, spices/condiments; tubers/roots; fruits; wild edibles; and policy. Political commitment, policy development and multipurpose agroforestry trees. KL-India and enforcement, and a participatory bottom- has the highest diversity of agricultural crops with up approach are critical for long-term solutions. around 235 species, followed by KL-Nepal, which has Participatory action research as well as scientific 159 species, and KL-Bhutan, which has 52 species. research programmes need to be strengthened and People in the landscape rear a variety of livestock – the necessary research infrastructure put in place. cattle, buffalo, goat, sheep, pig, yak, horses, mules, The status and trends of agrobiodiversity should dogs, and domestic fowl including ducks, geese, and be consistently monitored and research findings pigeons. Farmers maintain rich agrobiodiversity disseminated to all concerned parties. Viable on their farms, which helps them adapt to climate, harvesting practices, value chain development at the socioeconomic, and other changes. local, national, and regional levels, and sustained marketing of products should