VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 JULY 2008 RED PANDA ATREE — EASTERN HIMALAYA MARCHREGIONAL 2008 OFFICE NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER NEWSLETTER RED PANDA SURVEY IN NEORA VALLEY NP INSIDE THIS ISSUE: A team from ATREE has just From the evidence gathered flowering plants encountered CONSERVATION 2 conducted a survey of the red during the systematic survey of during the survey. GAINS, panda Ailurus fulgens in Neora the red panda, a minimum The survey team consisted of ECOTOURISM Valley National Park, Darjeeling. number of 28 - 32 red pandas Tenzing Sherpa, Dr. Santosh The survey, supported by the have been estimated for the SURVEY OF 3 Chettri and Dr. Upakar Rai. We PERENNIAL Rufford Small Grants Upper Neora Valley National SPRINGS are very thankful to Dr. Sunita Programme, was a follow up of Park. With this estimate the Pradhan, Scientific Officer, the study and conservation study has come up with baseline MEDICINAL 3 Padmaja Naidu National PLANTS efforts in the Singhalila National data on red panda for the first Zoological Park, Darjeeling for CONSERVATION Park and focused on Neora time in Neora Valley National guiding and advising the study Valley in an effort to piece Park, Darjeeling. A minimum BIODIVERSITY 4 team. & SOCIO together a more complete number of 47 red pandas had ECONOMIC picture of the status of red been estimated for Singhalila SURVEY panda in Darjeeling Himalayas. National Park in 1998. SURVEY OF 4 PROJECT In India, red panda is distributed The survey also highlighted VILLAGES in Darjeeling, Sikkim and problems such as insufficient Arunachal Pradesh. The only infrastructure, inadequately CEPF GRANTEE 5 REPORTS study of red panda so far in trained staff, trans-boundary India has been in the Singhalila issues, poaching of wild National Park, Darjeeling and an animals, removal of timber and PRODUCTS 7 ex-situ conservation effort at the NTFP, trade of orchids, removal The survey has yielded the first HIMALAYA, ever photographic records of the Padmaja Naidu Himalayan of maling bamboo, grass and NEWS red panda and serow (below) in Zoological Park in collaboration firewood, fire, grazing of the Neora Valley National Park with the Wildlife Division, Forest livestock from the fringe villages Photos: Tenzing Sherpa Department. and lack of research and monitoring. However no direct OF NOTE Current knowledge on the threats—like poaching, keeping population status from other red pandas as pets or a history • Three CEPF Grantees areas of red panda distribution of red panda trade—were report some exciting is scarce. This information gap is finds from the field. In noticed or detected. The survey considered a significant hurdle their own words... also documented other for conservation of the species. • An assessment of mammals. birds and seasonal biodiversity and socio- economic issues of NE India NEWS IN BRIEF • A survey of ecotourism in Sikkim and The Blue Moon Fund, Virginia, Tripura, Mizoram & Nagaland A camera trapping survey of Darjeeling USA has committed support to have been selected for a Ford tigers has been carried out by • Conservation gains in a second phase of the Foundation supported project ATREE researchers at Manas a biodiversity hotspot: Conservation and Livelihoods on working with civil society Tiger Reserve in Assam. This livelihoods and Programme in the Eastern groups to advance work was supported by the ecosystem health Himalayas. conservation & livelihoods. Save the Tiger Fund, USA. RED PANDA Page 2 ATREE — EASTERN HIMALAYA REGIONAL OFFICE NEWSLETTER BETTER LIVELIHOOD OPPORTUNITIES AND ECOSYSTEM HEALTH ATREE’s work with local revealed that on average awareness and additional communities has each household harvested income generated through a substantially raised their up to 75kg of fuel wood in a basket of livelihood domestic income while day. Through persistent interventions. It is estimated advancing conservation in a efforts by ATREE and that as a result, the saving biodiversity hotspot. Case alternative livelihoods from one village amounts to studies from 3 hill villages opportunities sustained by roughly 960kg of fuel wood, inside Senchel Wildlife new market linkages, or a curtailment of Sanctuary, Darjeeling show villagers have completely approximately 192kg of significant local stopped making wood carbon emission, per day. contributions to enhance charcoal taking much Further, these communities the health of the pressure off the forests in have innovated cooking surrounding ecosystem. the area. Fuel wood hearths to maximize fuel The innovated cooking hearths are fuel efficient and reduce indoor air pollution extraction from the forests efficiency and use fuel wood Photo: Nishat Rehman Prior to ATREE’s has been reduced by almost more effectively. This also interventions, these villages 4 times since then. has implications for health were harvesting timber to as indoor air pollution from make charcoal on a Today, all households are the improved cooking commercial scale and engaged in sustainable hearths is much reduced. selling this to the suburban livelihoods practices due to population. A survey the high degree of - Nishat Rehman NOTES FROM AN ECOTOURISM SURVEY IN DARJEELING AND SIKKIM Tourism, the mainstay of the environment in one of the growing concern of the Towards this end, one of the Darjeeling economy, is most spectacular regions of disastrous consequences of immediate tasks should be roughly a Rs.500 crore the world that is also a poorly planned and to empower emerging local industry and continues to biodiversity hotspot, managed tourism. community initiatives grow rapidly. About 500,000 unwittingly undermining the engaged in tourism by Ecotourism has been a domestic and foreign very values that make the building their capacity in the buzzword in the region and tourists visit the region every region attractive. effective management and only a marketing tool. year to witness the operation of ecotourism In recent times, the hordes Biodiversity conservation as panoramic views of Mount enterprise for realizing both of tourist that throng the the core of the ecotourism Everest and the economic and conservation region looking to experience ethic has taken a backstage. Khangchendzonga, the outcomes. This will also an oasis of tranquility and Consequently, and prime drawing factor in the require effectively engaging pristine environs far paradoxically, ecotourism region. However, in the with policy and decision removed from their concrete that is supposed to protect process of its growth, makers for enacting legal jungles are gradually biodiversity has started to tourism has created major frameworks that empower spilling to the countryside. negatively impact wild environmental and socio- local communities towards In the wake of increasing habitats and species. There economic problems, practicing ecologically sound demand for such is an urgent need to correct including pollution, tourism. experiences, local the anomaly and bring back deforestation, overcrowding, communities in far-flung the much needed focus on - Akai Mao economic and cultural villages are opening their biodiversity conservation dislocation, and local Akai is currently working on homes to eager tourists. and community benefits in resource shortages. In other developing a project on Amidst the burgeoning order to progress towards a words, tourism has not been ecotourism in the region interest among local more sustainable sustainable and has done communities to get a slice of development in the region. little to protect the the pie, there is also a VOLUME 1 ISSUE 2 JULY 2008 Page 2 PERENNIAL SPRINGS OF DARJEELING: AN UNDERVALUED RESOURCE A team from ATREE undertook a resource degradation, resource springs. The report notes that survey of the perennial springs capture, pollution, upstream Darjeeling’s water crisis can of Darjeeling Municipal Area. developments, community best be solved by managing perceptions of change and such local resources well and A total of 32 major and minor community interest in promoting efficient rainwater perennial springs was carried managing these resources. harvesting in addition to the Communities out. It included photo large water supply projects have evolved documentation, mapping and The report notes among other being planned. The report will interviews with CBO things that perennial springs ways of tapping, be presented to the Darjeeling representatives, water users constitute a very valuable Municipality for further action. storing and and knowledgeable persons in source of water for many sharing of the areas. people especially in areas This survey was carried out on where municipal supplies are behalf of the Darjeeling NGO perennial spring Darjeeling’s municipal water scarce or non-existent. Also, network and the Darjeeling supply system is of British waters and these communities have evolved Municipality. The survey team vintage, distribution is skewed efforts need to ways of tapping, storing and consisted of Arjun Rai, Rajen and the system suffers from sharing of perennial spring Chettri, Nishat Rehman, Anand be appreciated, significant distribution losses. waters and these efforts need Gazmer and Samuel Thomas. Perennial springs meet a great supported and to be appreciated, supported part of this shortfall. The survey - A photo exhibition/ summary of incentivized and incentivized. The report highlighted the various survey findings was presented at urges the Municipality to value community efforts at managing the World Environment Day this as a vital ecosystem celebrations in Darjeeling from 5- perennial