Regional Cooperation: Transboundary biodiversity Management in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas

Transcription

1 Regional Cooperation: Transboundary biodiversity Management in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas Bandana Shakya and Nakul Chettri 10 August 2011 International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Kathmandu, Nepal

2 Outline Introduction Issues and Perspectives ICIMOD s Approach Transboundary Biodiversity Management: Examples

3 Introduction

4 Biodiversity significance in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas Impressive biodiversity of global significance Parts of 4 global biodiversity hotspots; 488 PAs; 330 IBAs; 29 Ramsar sites; 60 Ecoregions Under immense pressure from natural and anthropogenic threats Global conservation attention increase ecological and socio-economic resilience and for enhancing the adaptive capacity of natural and human systems

5 Regional approach is... Afghanistan Bangladesh Bhutan China India Myanmar Nepal Pakistan Regional voice

6 Issues and Perspectives

7 The paradigm shifts... Loss of species Ecosystems tipping point

8 The paradigm shifts... Crisis Ecoregion Biodiversity Hotspots Endemic Bird Areas Centre for Plant Diversity Megadiversity Countries Global 200 ecoregions High BD Wilderness Area Frontier Forests Last of the wild Reference: Brooks et al. 2006

9 The paradigm shifts... Biodiversity Structure Ecosystem Services Sustainable use

10 The paradigm shifts...

11 The paradigm shifts... Society Economy Environment Ecological issue Integrated

12 The paradigm shifts... Linkages to people and their livelihoods/ health and well being

13 The paradigm shifts... Deforestation Unsustainable use Bigger drivers of change

14 The paradigm shifts... Protected Areas Island Connectivity

15 The paradigm shifts Long term Environmental/ Socioeconomic Monitoring

16 The paradigm shifts... Access and Benefit Sharing Payment for Ecosystem Services

17 Source: Pant et al (draft). Example: Valuation of goods and services from forested Landscape in KL Types and sources of value Value US$ million Percent Value of provisioning services 1 Timber and other wood Livelihood inputs (fodder, litter, agriculture appliances) Food products Medicinal plants Value of regulating services 6 Carbon sequestration Value of supporting services 6 Increase in crop income Total value % of the total household income is derived from the provisional goods and services from the forest ecosystems - Each hector of land fetches more than 400US$ per annum - unaccounted carbon sequestration is priced to be around 23 million US$

18 Regional approach is... Looking at the relevance of these paradigm shifts Finding the complementarities Building upon the common minimum agenda Local issues National Efforts Global issues International Efforts

19 ICIMOD s Approach

20 linkages among global conventions Convention on Biological Diversity Mountain Biodiversity Programme of Work Ecosystem Approach Transboundary Biodiversity Management Role of cultural diversity, indigenous and traditional knowledge United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Role of biodiversity in climate change adaptation and mitigation Millennium Development Goals Biodiversity as an enhanced resource base to socio-economic development and resilience

21 Conservation Landscape/ Trans Himalayan Transect Consistent and comparable data Co-location and network of centres for longterm monitoring on climate and ecological system Representation with latitudinal and longitudinal coverage

22 Conservation Landscape/ Trans Himalayan Transect : Rationale

23 HKH Transect Initiative-Overall goal To establish a long-term ecological research and environmental monitoring network across the HKH, in order to facilitate informed policy-making, sustainable development, and provide the scientific basis for climate change adaptation strategies and building resilient mountain communities, through enhanced regional cooperation.

24 the focus is on Large Scale Natural Landscape Letting animals move and survive Keeping the natural vegetation intact Restoring Landscapes Interlinking protected areas Considering people s livelihoods Large scale Natural Involving Landscape many people their culture and traditions

25 Transboundary Biodiversity Management: Examples

26 Kailash Sacred Landscape China-India-Nepal Boundary delineation

27 Kailash Sacred Landscape China-India-Nepal Guidelines Regional Conservation Strategy Comprehensive Environmental Monitoring Strategic Plan RCF

28 Kailash Sacred Landscape China-India-Nepal The RCF is the policy enabling environment that sets up the road map for all KSL Conservation Initiative and provides directions for collaborative actions at the regional level Transboundary biodiversity and cultural conservation, ecosystem management, sustainable development and climate change adaptation

29 Kangchenjunga Landscape Bhutan, India and Nepal Action research Regional framework Linking PAs with conservation corridors Enhancing biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods Promoting environmental security and regional cooperation National strategic documents (Bhutan and Nepal)

30 Brahmaputra-Salween Landscape China-India-Myanmar Natural connectivity and resilience Regional cooperation for research, knowledge sharing and Long Term Ecological Monitoring

31 Corridors and Connectivity..biologically and strategically defined sub-regional space, selected as a unit for large-scale conservation planning Reserve A Reserve B

32 Corridors and Connectivity Reserve A Reserve B

33 Corridors and Connectivity Settlement Agriculture Community forests Forest fragments reserve reserve reserve

34 Corridors and Connectivity Settlement Agriculture Community forests Forest fragments reserve reserve reserve

35 Not easy..many challenges Coordination among complex institutional arrangements Managing overlapping institutional mandate Balancing competing economic interest Balancing infrastructural issues Clarity and understanding of mutual benefit Governance at local, national, regional level National sovereignty- Property rights, community values Data and information sharing

36 ICIMOD s call for regional cooperation Regional, transboundary research and long-term monitoring - Reduce scientific uncertainty Biodiversity management at landscape level - help balance objectives of conservation and sustainable use Trans sects in the HKH create opportunities to monitor changes in biodiversity in short distances with enormous variability. Development of landscape corridors essential adaptation strategy

37 Thank You International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development Kathmandu, Nepal Recognise these paradigm shifts Identify opportunities Show leadership-collective action Manage change Adapt and benefit