Eastern Himalayas Region
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Ecosystem Profile Eastern Himalayas Region Final version February 2005 Prepared by: WWF-US, Asia Program In collaboration with: Aaranyak Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment Bird Conservation, Nepal BirdLife International Bombay Natural History Society, India Centre for Environmental Education, Northeast India Royal Society for Protection of Nature, Bhutan WWF-India, Northeast Office WWF Nepal Program Based on the outcome definitions provided by: BirdLife International, Indochina Program Conservation International - Center for Applied Biodiversity Science In consultation with the following stakeholders: BHUTAN Nepal Shrestha, Jay Pal Bhattari, Shivaraj Acharya, Jiwan Shrestha, Jiwan Chhetri, D. B. Adhikari, Mahesh Kumar Shrestha, Tej Kumar Dema, Aum Sangay Baidya, Bidur Shrestha, Tirtha B. Dorji, Lam Banskota, Mahesh Singh, Lisa Simrique Dorji, Tshering Baral, Hem Sagar, Suwal, Rajendra Gurung, D.B. Basnet, Bhupendra Tamrakar, Jamuna K. Kumar, Echay Chettri, Nakul Thapa, Ishana Mongar, D. B. Cooke, Cathryn Thapa, V. K. Mukthan, Vijay Dhakal, Janardhan Thapa, Gokarna Jung Namgay, Kuenzang Faiz, Asif Vaidya, Bunu Peldon, Jigme Gurung, Chandra P. Pradhan,G. K. Gurung, Ghana Shyam NORTHEAST Pradhan, Rebecca Lekhak, H. D. INDIAN STATES Pradhan, Miraj Jnawali, Santa Raj Rai, D.S. Karki, Sameer Arunachal Pradesh Sharma, G. P. Khaling, Sarala Bhat, B.B Tandin Maharjan, Maksha Ram Deb, Panna Tshering, Dago Malla, Samar Bahadur Loma, C. Tshering, Rinchen Manandhar, Anil Maunglang, C.C.S. Wangda, Pema Nepali, Hari Saran Subba, Sunil Wangdi, Mincha Peniston, Brian Wangdi, Tandin Poudel, Narayan Assam Wangchuk, Karma Rajbhandari, Keshab Ahmed, Firoz Wangchuk, Sangay Rijal, Arun Bairagi, Sujit P. Wangchuk, Sherub Shah, Karan B. Baishya, Hiten Kr. Wangchuk, Tashi Sharma, Chandrakala Bhattacharjee, P.C. Wangchuk, Sonam Sharma, Uday Raj Borah, Dipen Ch. Yonten, Deki Sharma, Vivek Choudhury, Anwaruddin Shrestha, Binod Dey, Ashish i Dey, Bablu Lyngdoh, Tambor Simick, Yusuf Dey, Soumen Marak, T.T.C. Dutta, Soumyadeep Noronha, Carmo Outside N.E. Region Goswami, Anil Tiwari, B. K. Aziz, Tariq Goswami, D. C. Chatterjee, Sudipto Gupta, Abhik Mizoram Das, Arundhati Kalita, J. Jonunmawia, A. C. Kaul, Rahul Lala, Sunetra Lalhmachhuana Rahmani, Asad Narayan, Goutam Tawnensa Zafar-ul-islam, Raghunathan, Meena Sarmah, Pankaj Nagaland GLOBAL Sharma, Amit Kent, K. T. Thomas Brunner, Jake Sinha, Hilloljyoti Kire, Keyiekhrie Chhettri, Nakul Teron, Raju Shohe, Khekiho Chungyalpa, Dekila Whiso, Voto Erkhoff, Lies Darjeeling, Frish, Tracy Rai, N.S. Sikkim, Langhammer, Penny D’Souza, Rohin Chauhan, A.S. Miceler, Jon Pradhan, Prabhat Lachungpa, Chezung Pilgrim, John Thapa, Diwakar Lachungpa, Usha Riba, Komkar Chakraborty, Milendu Lepcha, Renzino Sherpa, Mingma Norbu Thapa, Kishore Sharma, Ghaneshyam Tordoff, Andrew Wikramanayake, Eric Manipur Tripura Singh, Tombi Roy, D. Dutta Yadava, P. S West Bengal Meghalaya Rai, D.Dutta Ao, Imtienla Das, A.P. Barik, S. K. Ghosh, Soumitra Choudhury, Dhrupad Lepcha, Pakimu Darlong, V.T. Bhujel, Ram Kharbuli, B. Talukdar, Bibhab Kr. ii CONTENTS INTRODUCTION.................................................................................................................. 2 THE ECOSYSTEM PROFILE.............................................................................................. 2 The Geographical Extent ..................................................................................................2 The Purpose of the Profile ................................................................................................3 Background.......................................................................................................................4 BIOLOGICAL IMPORTANCE ............................................................................................. 4 Plant Communities............................................................................................................6 Faunal Communities.........................................................................................................8 Important Ecological Phenomenon...................................................................................9 Protected Areas ................................................................................................................9 CONSERVATION OUTCOMES ........................................................................................ 11 Species Outcomes..........................................................................................................13 Site Outcomes ................................................................................................................14 Corridor Outcomes .........................................................................................................21 PRIORITY OUTCOMES FOR CEPF INVESTMENT ......................................................... 22 Priority Species Outcomes .............................................................................................23 Priority Site Outcomes ....................................................................................................25 Priority Corridor Outcomes .............................................................................................29 SOCIOECONOMIC FEATURES ....................................................................................... 35 Institutional Framework for Conservation .......................................................................36 Nature Conservation Legislation and Agreements .........................................................41 Economic Situation .........................................................................................................43 Infrastructure and Regional Development ......................................................................44 Demography and Social Trends .....................................................................................45 SYNOPSIS OF CURRENT THREATS .............................................................................. 47 Habitat Loss, Degradation and Fragmentation ...............................................................50 Wildlife Killing..................................................................................................................51 Illegal Logging.................................................................................................................52 Floods .............................................................................................................................52 Pollution ..........................................................................................................................52 Infrastructure...................................................................................................................53 Mining .............................................................................................................................54 Forest and Grassland Fires ............................................................................................55 Lack of Information .........................................................................................................55 Insurgency ......................................................................................................................55 SYNOPSIS OF CURRENT INVESTMENTS...................................................................... 55 CEPF NICHE FOR INVESTMENT..................................................................................... 58 CEPF INVESTMENT STRATEGY AND PROGRAM FOCUS........................................... 59 Program Focus ...............................................................................................................59 Strategic Directions.........................................................................................................60 Sustainability...................................................................................................................69 CONCLUSION................................................................................................................... 70 ABBREVIATIONS USED IN THE TEXT ........................................................................... 71 REFERENCES................................................................................................................... 72 APPENDICES.................................................................................................................... 78 1 INTRODUCTION The Critical Ecosystem Partnership Fund (CEPF) is designed to safeguard the world's threatened biodiversity hotspots in developing countries. It is a joint initiative of Conservation International, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Japan, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the World Bank. A fundamental purpose of CEPF is to engage civil society, such as community groups, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), academic institutions and private enterprises, in biodiversity conservation in the hotspots. To guarantee their success, these efforts must complement existing strategies and programs of national governments and multilateral and bilateral donors. CEPF promotes working alliances among diverse groups, combining unique capacities and reducing duplication of efforts for a comprehensive, coordinated approach to conservation. CEPF focuses on biological areas rather than political boundaries and examines conservation threats