International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Kathmandu, Nepal

Environmental Monitoring and Long-Term Ecological Research for Biodiversity

Conservation and Sustainable Development in the Kailash Sacred

Landscape

Robert Zomer, Eklabya Sharma, Krishna Oli, Nakul Chettri

Second Third Pole Conference 26-28 October 2010Kathmandu, Nepal

The Hindu Kush-Himalayan (HKH) Region - Importance

The third pole on earth - an area of extraordinary

beauty and a global hotspot for biodiversity

HKH is ecological buffer between Tibetan Plateau

and South Asia; influences Global Climate regulation

Provides ecosystem services and directly forms the basis for livelihoods for 200 million people; indirectly water and other ecosystem services

forms the lifeline for one third of humanity

Global Hotspot of Biodiversity and Cultural Diversity

Climate Change / Global Warming

• Projected to have high impact in the HKH• Accelerated warming evident at higher elevations

• Melting glaciers, melting permafrost,

• Changes in seasonality, onset of rains, amount of precipitation, temperature regimes

• Environmental changes, drying wetlands, glacial lakes

• Increase in variability and extreme events

• Biodiversity• Shifts in species ranges, invasive species, decoupling of biological cycles

• Loss of genetic resources – agro-biodiversity

• Livelihoods• Changes in hydrological and climatic regime, extreme events

• Cropping cycles, crop suitability, livestock ranges, pests and pathogens, invasive weed species

• Shifts in transhumance and nomadic herder patterns, settlement patterns, (impacts on biodiversity)

HKH Data Deficit Region

Need for coordinated long-term monitoring and ecological research at the regional level in the HKH region,

Within the context of climate and other environmental change

Regional data sharing and information exchange to meet the challenges of climate and environmental change in the region

Data availability and data sharing is constrained in the region by policy gaps, political sensitivities, and institutional cultures

Need to develop regional approaches for implementation of goals agreed upon in various Global Conventions

Mountain Biodiversity POW COP VII/27 of CBD Transboundary / Ecosystems Management Approach

Ecosystem Management / Landscape Approach

• Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD)• COP 7 Mountain Biodiversity Program of Work

• Ecosystems Management /Transboundary Approach

• Regional Cooperation / Integrated Management Highlighted

• All countries in HKH signatory to CBD

• Landscape Approach• Recognizes transboundary nature of conservation

and threats

• Includes both natural and managed components of biodiversity

• Agro-biodiversity, wildlife and wildlife habit

• Explicitly recognizes the important role of cultural diversity in maintaining biodiversity

HKH Transect Initiative A Regional Approach

HKH Transect Initiative : Goals

Through enhanced regional cooperation within the HKH region:

• To build capacity for long-term environmental monitoring and ecological research

• Facilitate ecosystem management, informed policy-making and sustainable development

• Provide the scientific basis for climate change adaptation and building resilient mountain communities

Questions that Transects are intended to answer

– Impacts of climatic and environmental change on:

• Ecosystem Services

– LUCC, ecosystem functioning

• Biodiversity

– wildlife and habitat status

– agricultural and genetic resources,

• Mountain communities

– food security, livelihoods, socioeconomic, demographic and cultural change

– Provide support for ecosystem management

• Conservation / Sustainable Use / Sustainable Development Options

– Identify adaptation options and strategies

Regional Cooperation for Environmental Monitoring

– Promote and develop mechanisms and policies for regional cooperation

– Promote common protocols as a basis for data sharing and quality control

– Encourage complimentary research / co-location synergies

– Promote and develop mechanisms, policies and platforms for open data exchange and knowledge sharing

– Promote and develop mechanisms and policies for international participation and cooperation

HKH Transect Vision:

• A framework for regionally cooperative effort to facilitate and build capacity for, and establish long-term environmental monitoring and ecological research, and associated institutional networks, across the HKH,

• Spatially delineate a geographic sampling frame to encourage and derive the benefits of co-location of research and monitoring sites and sampling efficiency.

• Environmental monitoring based on globally accepted common protocols and principles of open data exchange for environmental management.

• Establishment of the policy enabling basis for regional long-term ecological research, environmental monitoring, and data sharing.

Transect: Regional Facilitation

• Transects1. Geographically defined transboundary sampling frames

• Regional sampling, regional variability, co-location benefits• Four proposed transects( i.e., corridors or mega-transects)• “Transboundary Landscapes” are geographically defined areas which

are nested within these transects, as such provide opportunities for piloting.

2. Policy enabled frameworks for regional cooperation• Encourage regional monitoring, regional cooperation agreements,

common protocols, open data exchange, and international cooperation• Transboundary Landscapes provide opportunities for piloting and

lessons learned in this regard.

Transect: Regional Facilitation

• Within these Transects:

– Promote Long-Term Research and Monitoring

• Collection of basic data – environmental parameters

– Climate, hydrology, biodiversity, development, demography

– Regional open data exchange and knowledge sharing

– Encourage regional (i.e. national) institutions to establish and take ownership of:

• Long-term ecological research, environmental monitoring

• Hydro-meteorological stations, gauging stations, snow monitoring, glacier field monitoring, etc...

• Promote co-location of research and monitoring sites

HKH Transect Initiative: Three Strategic Levels

Role of ICIMOD

Regional, facilitator and broker with a mountain perspective

Contributing to country—based knowledge becoming regionally accessible

Promoting the extension from local to transboundary approaches

Customising international knowledge

Capacity development, common methodologies, regionally accessible data, monitoring, quality control

International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development

Kathmandu, Nepal

Piloting The HKH Transect Initiative:

Transboundary Landscapes

HKH Transect Initiative –Transboundary Landscapes

Kailash Sacred LandscapeChina-India-Nepal

Addressing scientific uncertainties; Regional cooperation framework for research; Capacity building and information sharing

Biodiversity and Eco-Regions

Climatic, Ecological and Floristic Ecotones

Transboundary Ecosystem Services

• Significant biodiversity and wildlife habitat• Highly diverse array of indigenous and endemic species, biomes

• Medicinal plants – insects

• Rare, threatened and endangered species – snow leopard

• Important Bird Areas – wildlife migratory routes

• Ramsar Site (Lake Mansarovar) – many High Altitude Wetlands

• Regionally important issues include loss of rare, threatened and endemic species

• High incidence of illegal trade in CITES species.

• Source of four of Asia’s great rivers:• Indus, Brahmaputra, Karnali, Sutlej

• Irrigate much of Asia and South Asia

• Sustain the vital ecosystem goods and services of a vast region

• Hydrology and Climate Change• Melting glaciers and and changes in hydrological regime of concern to large downstream

populations.

• Melting of permafrost of both regional and global concern

• High Altitude Peat Wetlands (Carbon – Methane)

Transboundary Cultural and Religious Significance

• Sacred Geography• Significant to hundreds of millions of people around the globe

• Hindu, Buddhist, Jain, Sikh, Bon Po, and more

• Important Pilgrimage Site• Tens of thousands of pilgrims journey to Mt Kailash every year

• Primarily from India, Nepal, and other parts of Tibetan Plateau

• Significant impact on the environment, e.g. trekking, infrastructure,

• in high altitude, harsh, difficult conditions

• Tourism and Infrastructure• Expected to increase significantly

• Several highways being built and improved

• Airport to be operational by 2011 (capacity of 12,000 per day)

• Tibet expecting over 3 million visitors (end of decade)

• Opportunities for Sustainable / Eco-Tourism Approaches

• Planning for Reduction and Mitigation of Impacts

• Maintenance of Aesthetic Values and Cultural Integrity

Mt. Kailash Tourist Arrivals

KSL Conservation and Development Challenges

DIRECT DRIVERS OF CHANGE

Climate ChangeChanges in land use/cover

Species introduction or removalTechnology adaptation and use

External inputsHarvest and resource consumption

Natural, physical, and biological drivers

INDIRECT DRIVERS OF CHANGE

Demographic (population)Economic

Socio-politicalScience and technology

Culture and religion

ECOSYSTEM SERVICES

ProvisioningRegulating

CulturalSupporting

HUMAN WELLBEINGAND

POVERTY REDUCTION

Drivers of Environmental Change

Source: MA 2005

• Physical changeOver extraction or poor management of resources, introduced and invasive species, forest degradation, change in landuse/cover

• Climate changeRise in temperature, seasonal change in precipitation regime, extreme weather conditions

• Demographic and socio-economic changeMigration, poverty, limited development options, majority on subsistence livelihood

Transboundary Landscape

KSL Conservation Initiative – Phase One: 2009-2011

 The major outcomes includes the following: • Regional Cooperation Framework (RCF)

• Policy enabling environment for ecosystem management• Conservation Strategy

• Through a participatory consultative process • Establishing a Regional knowledge-sharing platform.

• Comprehensive Environmental Monitoring Plan: • Long-term ecological, climatic, and biodiversity datasets • Promote regional cooperation on environmental and climate change monitoring

and networking• Feasibility Assessment

• Baseline assessment and policy / enabling environment analysis

Supported by studies and understanding on traditional knowledge systems, eco-tourism and heritage site development, installation of monitoring / hydro-met stations

Kailash Sacred Landscape

National Project Boundaries delineated by each country based on Baseline Assessment and a National Consultation Process

Criteria: Watershed Boundaries, Ecosystems, Biodiversity, Existing PA’s, Conservation Priorities, Administrative Units, Cultural Sites

KSL Regional Cooperation Framework

Four Constitutive Elements:

• Transboundary biodiversity, environmental, and cultural conservation;

• Scientific and technical cooperation;

• Information exchange and sharing;

• Regional guidelines, policy mechanisms, and soft legal instruments.

Based upon a improved knowledge base and information sharing among international, regional, national, and local stakeholders and actors.

Regional Cooperation Framework Basic Principles

• Participatory Management – ensuring participation of indigenous and local communities, as well as disadvantaged and socially marginalized groups

• Equitability – ensuring fair and equitable access and benefit sharing,

• Sustainability – aiming for economic, social, and environmental sustainability

• Partnerships – building partnerships among local communities, government / non-government institutions, the private / corporate sector, and financial institutions.

• Ecosystem Management– taking an integrated approach into consideration for socio-economic, socio-ecological, cultural and environmental security.

• Lessons-Learned Approach – applying lessons learned from other transboundary mountain programs, including the Alpine Convention, the Carpathian Convention, and the Mount Everest and Kangchenjunga transboundary frameworks.

• Transboundary Cooperation – promoting and strengthening transboundary cooperation.

Kailash Sacred Landscape:

Comprehensive Environmental Monitoring Plan

 • Regional Cooperation• Hierarchical Approach - Integration with

National Efforts• Transparency and stakeholder involvement• Integration of Community Based Approaches /

Initiatives• Socioeconomic, cultural and environmental

change• Regional knowledge sharing /open data

exchange• Developing institutional networks and regional

networking• Environmental and ecological indicators• Stratified ecosystem / species -specific

sampling• Permanent environmental monitoring and

long-term ecological research sites

Kailash Sacred Landscape:Long-Term Vision

Thank you

Thank You