GMS Core Environment Program ’s Biodiversity Landscape & Livelihood Project Result Report Asian Elephant Survey and Protection Planning for Sino- Joint Protection Area

The Core Environment Program (CEP) supports the Greater Subregion (GMS) in delivering environmentally friendly economic growth. Anchored on the ADB-supported GMS Economic Cooperation Program, CEP promotes regional cooperation to improve development planning, safeguards, biodiversity conservation, and resilience to climate change–all of which are underpinned by building capacity. CEP is overseen by the environment ministries of the six GMS countries and implemented by the ADB-administered Environment Operations Center. Cofinancing is provided by ADB, the Global Environment Facility, the Government of Sweden, and the Nordic Development Fund.The Yunnan Environmental Protection Department (YEPD) is the focal agency for CEP implementation in Yunnan Province.

Yunnan Environmental Protection Department www.gms-eoc.org www.ynepb.gov.cn 1 Research Background Within the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve, the Shangyong and Mengla sub-reserves share a 108 km border with Lao PDR. The subtropical forest in this area is home to over 2,100 animal species including iconic protected species such as the Asian elephant, the Indochinese , , the Northern White-Cheeked Gibbon, and Red Slender Loris. To protect the rich wildlife and other biodiversity, the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve has been cooperating with neighboring Lao PDR Provincial environmental authorities since 2009 to establish a 200,000-hectare "Sino-Laos United Cross-Border Protection Zone" and have since explored biodiversity protection strategies along border areas. In 2014, the GMS CEP began supporting transboundary biodiversity conservation cooperation in the area with a survey on the status of Asian elephants and plans for the protection of this key species. Previous surveys had already identified elephant habitat and migration areas in Xishuangbanna so this survey focused mainly on gaining information about elephant populations, habitat and movements on the Lao PDR side of the border. 2 Survey Area Scope The survey covered the entire Sino-Laos United Cross-Border Protection Zone, 220km from the south to the north, and with 200,000 ha of border areas between Xishuangbanna and three Lao PDR provinces: , Phong Saly and Oudomxay.

Sino-Lao Joint Protection Area Sketch Map

N W E

S 中国 老挝 Lao PDR

Mengla area 55000ha 勐腊区域面积 55000ha Planed Sino-Lao joint Protection area with total area of 200,000ha, 勐腊 丰沙里 covering border line 220km. Mengla Phong Saly

Mohan area 20000ha 丰沙里区域面积 55453ha 磨憨区域面积约20000ha Phong Saly area 55453ha Shangyong area 31300ha 尚勇区域面积约31300ha

Mohan area 16000ha 中老边境联合保护区域 磨憨区域面积约 5100ha 设想区域总面积约20万公顷 保护区域边境线长约220公里

图例 Na Mor area 16000ha 国界 南木哈区域面积约23400ha 纳么区域面积约 5200ha 老挝省界 Namhha area 23400ha 磨丁区域面积约 16000ha 琅南塔 Boten area 16000ha 乌多姆赛 比例尺：1：600,000 Luang namtha Oudomxay 3 Research Findings Estimation of Asian elephant population and distribution

The field survey revealed that there are six separate populations of Asian active in the area with overall numbers of 39-49 members. Luang Namtha province in Lao PDR has two active populations, with a total of 13-15 Asian elephants, in Lao PDR has one active population of about 5-7 Asian elephants; Phong Saly province in Lao PDR has three active populations with a total 21-27 elephants. Elephant activity was found in 170,000 ha including places where farmland and residential areas overlap with forests. This has resulted in reported instances of human and elephant conflict. Some of the elephant habitat is extremely remote and are not easily accessible for Lao PDR and Chinese patrollers and environmental officials. The mix of remoteness and human-elephant overlap areas present considerable challenges for conservation efforts.

The Asian Elephant Moving Routes in Sino-Lao Joint Protection Area

N 茅草山 Legend 纳秀 Key vilages W E 南怀 Route in Phong Saly Mengla nature reserve 南浪 双奔 Route in Oudomxay S 曼约 China Mengla County 南蚌 Route in Luang Namtha1 勐腊 波昆 Route in Luang Namtha2 Zone C 南欠 坝卡 Active area in Phong Saly 曼庄 景岗 Active area in Oudomxay 陪浪 桑诺南朗 奔代 Active area in Luang Namtha 东洋 上南西 它隆 Sino-Lao united protected zone 南西

勐满 南坪 南满 龙门 Laos 光明下寨 董棕堡 岔河 南混 光明上寨 勐兴 帕亚龙 老陶寨 南贡 Zone A 磨憨 旧龙

坝卡

Zone B Luang Namtha Province Luang Namtha Oudomxay Province 普田

南莫 哈恩 0 2.5 5 10 15 20 KM 1:450,000 勐拉 Proposed Asian Elephant Protection Plan

The research team proposed a conservation plan for joint protection of the Asian elephant in the cross-border protection zone. Key to this would be dividing the activity areas of Asian elephants into three protection zones just according to provincial jurisdiction, namely: Protected Zone A: "Sino-Laos (Shangyong-Luang Namtha) united cross-border protected zone for Asian elephant" (area: 53,917 ha, 13-15 elephants); Protected Zone B: "Sino-Laos (Mohan-Namor) united cross-border protected zone for Asian elephant" (area: 93,188 ha,5-7 elephants); Protected Zone C: "Sino-Laos (Mengla-Phongsaly) united cross-border protected zone for Asian elephant" (area: 22,072 ha,21-27elephants). If the three planned protected zones are realized, an analysis should be conducted to identify suitable habitat areas and migration areas that connect the zones. This would lay a foundation for planning and establishing migration corridors between the zones.

Exchange and Migration Corridor Zone Plan for Asian Elephant in Sino-Lao Border Areas

Yiwu N Menglun

Menghan

Jingha C4

Yaoqu Mengban Legend

Phong Saly area Township Guanlei Mengla area County

Road C3 Mekong River

Xishuangbanna Prefecture C2 Xishuangbanna nature reserve Mengpeng Mengla Asian elephant active area Mengrun C1 Sino-Lao united protected zone MYANMA

Mengman Shangyong area LAOS Mohan area Dongzongbao area A Mohan Namhha area B Boten area Na Mor area LAOS 0 5 10 20 30 km

Focus Activities for Cross-border Cooperation Joint protection action on the key animal species with predominant-species of Asian elephant. Strengthen Sino-Lao capacity building for Asian Elephant conversation and management. Conduct further research and monitoring of Asian elephant in the Sino-Lao joint protection areas. Public awareness campaigns on Asian elephant conservation. Analysis of human-elephant conflict situations and develop conflict mitigation plans.

National Initiatives Establish "Public Liability Insurance for Wild Asian Elephants" in Sino-Lao cross-border areas. Establish and improving joint protection cooperation mechanism in long term