PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON Prakriti ahwaan Local-level cross-border exchange for biodiversity management in the Kailash Sacred Landscape – India and Nepal 13–15 December 2019 Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India Copyright © 2020 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Published by Attribution Non-Commercial, No Derivatives 4.0 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development International License GPO Box 3226, Kathmandu, Nepal (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Report preparation Pradyumna JB Rana Binaya Pasakhala, Deepak Kumar Note Shah, Ujala Rajbhandari, Sushmita Kunwar, Janita Gurung This publication may be reproduced in whole or in part and in any form for educational or nonprofit purposes Production team without special permission from the copyright holder, Shradha Ghale (Consultant editor) provided acknowledgement of the source is made. 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This publication is available in electronic form at www.icimod.org/himaldoc. 2 PROCEEDINGS PROCEEDINGS OF THE WORKSHOP ON Prakriti ahwaan Local-level cross-border exchange for biodiversity management in the Kailash Sacred Landscape – India and Nepal 13–15 December 2019 Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative CROSS-BORDER EXCHANGE FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN THE KSL 1 Contents SECTION 1 | PAGE 1 Day III Background iHeritage training and field visit SECTION 2 | PAGES 2–6 SECTION 3 | PAGE 6 Workshop highlights Concluding session Day I PAGES 7–9 Opening session Annexes Sharing experiences from KSL-India Annex 1: Programme schedule Illegal trade of biodiversity Annex 2: Participants Day II Natural resources management planning Abbreviations and acronyms ANCA Api Nampa Conservation Area MAP Medicinal and aromatic plant CHEA Central Himalayan Environment MoFE Ministry of Forests and Association Environment DFO Divisional Forest Office MoITFE Ministry of Industries, Tourism, DNPWC Department of National Parks and Forests and Environment Wildlife Conservation NRM Natural resource management GEF Global Environment Facility NTFP Non-timber forest product GBPNIHE GB Pant National Institute of SAWEN South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Himalayan Environment Network GESI Gender equality and social inclusion RM Rural municipality HIMAWANTI Himalayan Grassroots Women’s UKFD Uttarakhand Forest Department Natural Resource Management Association UNDP United Nations Development Programme KSL Kailash Sacred Landscape VP Van panchayat KSLCDI Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development WII Wildlife Institute of India Initiative 2 PROCEEDINGS SECTION 1 Background The Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and In 2018, the KSLCDI conducted a ‘Cross-Border Development Initiative (KSLCDI) is a transboundary Sharing of Experiences on Biodiversity Management programme that applies the landscape conservation in Kailash Sacred Landscape – Nepal and India’ approach in a mutually delineated area shared by in Khalanga, Darchula district, Nepal. The China, India, and Nepal. Based on a consultative discussions, predominantly on issues related process with national partners in China, India, to yartsa gunbu, resulted in a community-level and Nepal, KSLCDI has invested in strategic agreement on sustainable management of yartsa interventions that integrate livelihoods programmes gunbu. Based on the priorities identified during with ecosystem services. this event, field research on yartsa gunbu was conducted in June 2019 in both KSL-India (Chiple Biodiversity is an important resource in the Kailash Kedar in Dharchula Block of Pithoragarh District) Sacred Landscape (KSL). It provides numerous and KSL-Nepal (Bajhang and Darchula districts). ecosystem services, ranging from the provision of Additionally, participants of the event had agreed to food, fuel, and shelter, to cultural services including continue the practice of exchange and dialogue set religious pilgrimage and tourism. The landscape up between the communities of the two countries. is habitat to numerous species of plants, including Hence, in December 2019, the programme was held many important medicinal plants and non-timber at Pithoragarh in Uttarakhand, India. forest products (NTFPs), which are a major source of income for many people residing in the landscape. The landscape is also rich in faunal diversity with the snow leopard (Panthera uncia), blue sheep Objectives (Pseudois nayaur), wild yak (Bos mutus), Tibetan The cross-border forum brought together civil antelope (Pantholops hodgsonii), and black-necked society and local administrative authorities to crane (Grus nigricollis) as flagship species. discuss challenges and identify solutions to critical The communities heavily depend on natural issues relating to biodiversity management, resources – particularly medicinal species such particularly of transboundary relevance, in the as yartsa gunbu (Ophiocordyceps sinensis) for their landscape. Technical support was provided by livelihoods – that are often exploited through district and state officials, subject specialists, unsustainable harvesting. Moreover, poaching and relevant organizations working in the field of and illegal trade of plants and wildlife pose severe biodiversity management. threats to biodiversity conservation in both KSL- The specific objectives of the workshop were to: India and Nepal. Wildlife products fetch very high prices in the international market. The high market • Revisit the 2018 Community Agreement and value, combined with other factors such as poverty, reaffirm actions for sustainable biodiversity high demand, and weak law enforcement, further management including addressing illegal trade contribute to illegal poaching and trade. To address of flora and fauna these issues, there are formal mechanisms (e.g., Wildlife Crime Control Bureau and sustainable • Share and validate findings from the 2019 yartsa NTFP harvesting policies) in place on both sides of gunbu field research the border. For these mechanisms to be effective • Cross-border learning through sharing of at the community level, the communities and local experiences from across the landscape governments in both India and Nepal have to be actively engaged. • Train citizen scientists on using a mobile app for monitoring the cultural heritage of the KSL CROSS-BORDER EXCHANGE FOR BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN THE KSL 1 SECTION 2 Workshop highlights Day I KSL-India. The aim was to share knowledge and experiences gathered from different initiatives in the landscape. Day I also included an important session Opening session on wildlife trade by South Asia Wildlife Enforcement The inaugural session of the cross-border forum Network (SAWEN), a regional network for curbing commenced with opening remarks from the illegal wildlife trade in South Asia. representatives of each of the partner institutions and rural municipalities. Chanda Gurung- SECURE HIMALAYA – SECURING LIVELIHOODS, Goodrich, Senior Gender Specialist, ICIMOD, CONSERVATION, SUSTAINABLE USE, AND RESTORATION provided a brief introduction of ICIMOD and stated OF HIGH RANGE HIMALAYAN ECOSYSTEMS that cross-border discussions were important as Bhaskar Joshi, Project Associate, Secure Himalaya communities across borders usually face similar social and environmental issues and challenges. Secure Himalaya is a project initiated by the Yasodha Tinkari, Chair, Byasi Shauka Samaj, Nepal, Government of India and the United Nations acknowledged the importance of such a forum, Development Programme (UNDP), with support especially for transboundary communities such from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), as the Rung community. Janak Padhya, Ministry which is implementing a new programme in the of Industries, Tourism, Forests and Environment Indian Himalayan region. The geographical area (MoITFE), Sudurpaschim Province, Nepal, stated of work within the KSL includes Darma, Byas, that despite the rich biological and cultural diversity and Chaudas valleys. The main objective of the and high tourism potential of KSL-Nepal, the region initiative is to ensure conservation of locally and faces many developmental challenges including globally significant biodiversity, land, and forest illegal activities taking place within and across the resources in the high Himalayan ecosystem while border. Hence, such interactions were necessary enhancing the livelihoods of local communities. for cross-learning and planning. Hansraj Bhatta, In the session, Joshi highlighted the work being Mayor, Mahakali Municipality, Nepal, noted that done under this project, which included habitat economic benefits derived