United Nations Development Program Project title: Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems (SECURE) Country: India Implementing Partner: Ministry of Management Arrangements: National Environment, Forests and Climate Change Implementation Modality (NIM) UNDAF/Country Program Outcome: Environmental Sustainability UNDP Strategic Plan Output: Output 1.3: Solutions developed at national and sub-national levels for sustainable management of natural resources, ecosystem services, chemicals and waste. Output 2.5: Legal and regulatory frameworks, policies and institutions enabled to ensure the conservation, sustainable use, and access and benefit sharing of natural resources, biodiversity and ecosystems, in line with international conventions and national legislation. UNDP Social and Environmental Screening Category: UNDP Gender Marker: Moderate 2 Atlas Project ID/Award ID number: 00101020 Atlas Output ID/Project ID number: 00103730 UNDP-GEF PIMS ID number: 3298 GEF ID number: 9148 Planned start date: April 1, 2017 Planned end date: March 30, 2024 LPAC date: August 17, 2017 Brief project description: Briefly (no more than 200 words) describe the overall development challenge and the expected results of the project. Despite the immense biological, socio-cultural and hydrological values of the Himalayan ecosystems, these natural ecosystems are under severe threat from high dependence of local communities on natural resources, pressures from economic development, selective removal of medicinal and aromatic plants, and the emerging threat of illegal wildlife trade and wildlife crime. To address these threats, the project will adopt a landscape approach to conservation and management, by ensuring that key biodiversity areas, buffer zones, corridors and areas outside traditional protected areas that are critically important for conservation of endangered snow leopard, wild prey and their associated and threatened species and habitats are managed in tandem with the sustainable use of these resources and improvement and diversification of the livelihoods of a large number of local communities living in this region. The pojets ieetal alue lies in promoting the sustainable management of alpine pastures and forests in the high range Himalayan ecosystems to secure conservation of globally significant wildlife, including endangered snow leopard and their habitats and ensure sustainable livelihoods and community soci-economic benefits in the four high altitude landscapes in the Trans- and Greater Himalayan region (that consists of alpine pastures, sub-alpine forests and critical watersheds). The four inter-related components of the project are aimed at Improved management of high Himalayan landscapes for conservation of snow leopard and other endangered species and their habitats and sustaining ecosystem services, improved and diversified sustainable livelihood for communities to reduce pressure on fragile ecosystems, enhanced enforcement, monitoring and cooperation to reduce wildlife related threats, and improved knowledge and information systems for landscape conservation approaches. These actions are aimed at conserving the snow leopards, wild prey and associated species and habitats contained within these landscapes, maintaining their ecosystem values and ameliorating climate change impacts, enhancing surveillance, monitoring and trans-boundary cooperation to reduce wildlife crime and related threats, and improving knowledge and communications. FINANCING PLAN GEF Trust Fund or LDCF or SCCF or other vertical fund USD 11,544,192 UNDP TRAC resources 0 Cash co-financing to be administered by UNDP 0 (1) Total Budget administered by UNDP USD 11,544,192 1 | P a g e Acronyms ATREE Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment BADP Border Areas Development Program BDC Bio-diversity Committee BMC Biodiversity Management Committees CAMPA Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority CAZRI Central Arid Zone Research Institute CBD Convention on Biological Diversity CBO Community Based Organization CCR Community Conservation Reserve CDR Cell Details Record CEE Center for Environment Communication CIGS Common Interest Group CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CMS Convention on Migratory Species CSIR Council of Scientific and Industrial Research DAVP Department of Audio Visual Publicity DST Department of Science and Technology ECOSS Ecotourism and Conservation Society of Sikkim EDC Ecodevelopment Committee DRAFT ESA Eco-sensitive Areas FAO Food and Agriculture Organization FRI Forest Research Institute GBPIHED G B Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment and Development GEF Global Environmental Fund GIS Geographic Information System GOI Government of India GRM Grievance Redressal Mechanism GSLEP Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program HAREC Highland Agricultural Research and Extension Center HCVF High Conservation Value Forests HFRI Institute of Himalayan Bio-Resources Technology HWC Human Wildlife Conflict ICAR Indian Council for Agricultural Research ICCR Indian Council for Cultural Relations ICIMOD International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development IFAD International Fund for Agricultural Development IHR Indian Himalayan Region IMI Integrated Mountain Initiatives ITBP Indo Tibetan Border Police IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature 3 | P a g e IWMP Integrated Water Management Plan IWS International Whaling Commission IWT Illegal Wildlife Trade JFMC Joint Forest Management Committee KCC Khangchendzonga Conservation Committee KLCDI Khangchendzonga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative KSLCDI Kailash Sacred Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative KVK Kendriya Vigyan Kendra LCDC Landscape Conservation and Development Committees PCCF LDPE Low Density Polyethylene Tanks LEDeG Ladakh Ecological Development Group LTDC Lachen tourism development committee LPIT Landscape Planning and Implementation Team MGNREGA Mahatama Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act MAP Medicinal and Aromatic Plants MIS Management Information System MNRE Ministry of New and Renewable Energy MOA Memorandum of Agreement MOEFCC Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change MORD Ministry of Rural Development MOU Memorandum of Understanding MYRADA Mysore Resettlement and DevelopmentDRAFT Agency NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NABFINS NABARD Financial Services Ltd NAPCC National Action Plan for Climate Change NBA National Biodiversity Authority NCDC National Cooperative Development Corporation NCF Nature Conservation Foundation NGO Non-government organization NMPB National Medicinal Plant Board NMSHE National Mission on Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem NP National Park NPM National Project Manager NRLM National Rural Livelihoods Mission NRM Natural Resource Management NSLEP National Snow Leopard Ecosystem Priority Protection NTFP Non Timber Forest Produce PA Protected Area PAO Project Administrative Officer PCCF Principal Chief Conservator of Forests PLMP Participatory Livelihood Management Plan PoWPA Program of Work on Protected Areas PPMU State Project Planning and Management Unit 4 | P a g e PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PRI Panchayati Raj Institutions PSBT Public Service Broadcast Trust PSL Project Snow Leopard RET Rare, Endangered and Threatened RO Range Officer RSTV Rajya Sabha Television SAWEN South Asia Wildlife Enforcement Network SCA Special Central Assistance SECMOL Students' Educational and Cultural Movement of Ladakh SHG Self Help Group SKUAST Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Science & Technology SL Snow Leopard SLM Sustainable Land Management SMPB State Medicinal Plant Board SLT Snow Leopard Trust SSB Sashastra Seema Bal TMI The Mountain Institute TORs Terms of Reference UNDP United Nations Development Program UNESCO United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organization USAID United States Agency for International DevelopmentDRAFT VCDC Village Conservation Committee WB World Bank WCCB Wildlife Crime Control Bureau WS Wildlife Sanctuary WWF World Wildlife Fund 5 | P a g e I. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Table of Contents ................................................................................................................... 6 II. Development Challenge ......................................................................................................... 7 III. Strategy ................................................................................................................................ 17 IV. Results and Partnerships ..................................................................................................... 24 V. Feasibility ............................................................................................................................. 55 VI. Project Results Framework .................................................................................................. 62 VII. Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Plan ............................................................................... 68 VIII. Governance and management Arrangements .................................................................... 73 IX. Financial Planning and Management................................................................................... 78 X. Total Budget and Work Plan ................................................................................................ 81 XI. Legal Context ......................................................................................................................