1. Building Mountain Resilience through Transboundary Management of Ecosystems
3-4 October 2017, Dushanbe, Tajikistan
Wu Ning & Yi Shaoliang
International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), Kathmandu, Nepal

2. HINDU KUSH HIMALAYAS
A Global Asset

3. Mountains – important region of connection in Asia and beyond
Ancient Silk Routes

4. Basins Support Some of the Most Populated Areas Globally
Population Density in the 10 HKH River Basins
Decisions about mountain resources are often made outside of the mountains

5. Drivers of Mountain Changes
Any specific environmental, social, or economic change is driven by a network of interactions.

6. Climate + Change Impacts
Temperature, precipitation, glaciers and snow, hydrology, and ecosystems
Urbanization, globalization, and connectivity
Demographic, economic and socio-cultural changes
Glacial retreat
Urban population by regions

7. Necessity and Opportunities
Changes offer opportunities to innovate, build resilience, and bounce forward.
Resilience outcomes in terms of ‘ex ante’ capacity for: (1) early and better recovery; (2) adaptation; (3) transformative change.
Interventions as ‘solution packages’ to target a combination of contextual factors drawn from: ecosystem, people, institutions, infrastructure, and external influences.

8. Need to be more than coping and “bouncing back”
Community Based Flood Early Warning System

9. Change Brings Opportunities
South/South learning on common regional mountain issues
Transboundary conservation and development
Cross border scientific cooperation
Regional & global investments (i.e. one belt one road)
Climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, clean energy, and green technology

10. Working Across Boundaries
Kailash Sacred (Sacred landscape with unique biodiversity and culture
Kangchenjunga (Corridors and Connectivity)
Karakoram Pamir Wahan Landscape ( KPWL) (Transboundary PAs with unique alpine biodiversity)
Initiative for Far Eastern Himalayas (HI-LIFE) (biodiversity hotspots- endemism)

11. Need for Regional Approach –
The rationale
Critical data deficit on environmental parameters in the HKH hindering scientific understanding and viable policy and practice responses;
The region is home to many globally significant species and wide range of habitats beyond the existing PAs and the political boundaries (More than 20% of the PAs are transboundary in nature);
Conservation effectiveness questioned as most of the PAs are scattered as ‘conservation islands’, and lack connectivity in between;
Offer unique opportunity for an integrated approach to research, monitoring and managing interfaced ecosystems and enhance their resilience.

12. Ecosystem management in Transboundary Initiatives
Ecosystem management requires a comprehensive framework and scientific understanding of the ecosystem functioning beyond their administrative borders. This can help build ecosystem resilience and develop adaptive practices on the ground.
Drivers of change (structure & function)
Interaction mechanism across interface (process)
Restoration & rehabilitation
Conservation intervention
Eco-industry development
Enhance resilience
Promote development
Sustain governance
Technological intervention
Scientific research
Adaptive management
Piloting

13. Ecosystem Management
Framework for Integrated Ecosystem Management in the HKH (FIEM) for harmonizing approaches for the management of natural resources in the HKH
Planning Management for Ecosystem Services- an Operational Manual, emphasizing on holistic approaches, multi-stakeholder participation, ecological integrity, and adaptive management.

14. Training Partners to Use FIEM and Manual
ToT on Management for Ecosystem Services for partners from different Landscape Initiatives held (Kathmandu)
Participants using the framework and manual for applying it to their own landscape (China, India and Nepal)

15. Implementation - Kailash (Kangrinpoche) Sacred Landscape (China-India-Nepal)
A sacred landscape with unique and rich biological diversity, cultural heritage, and vital ecosystem services conserved and sustained through transboundary ecosystem management.
Lake Manasarovar
Mt. Kailash
Pilgrim
People, livelihood and CC adaptation
Biodiversity and Ecosystem and Services
Regional cooperation and enabling policy
Long term monitoring
Regional knowledge management and communication
Goods

16. Connectivity Corridor for Species Resilience in Kangchenjunga Landscape
Enhancing participatory biodiversity conservation and sustainable livelihoods
Promoting environmental security and regional cooperation

17. Restrictions on cross-border grazing in Eastern Nepal
The trans-border area, including parts of Taplejung, Panchthar and Ilam districts of Nepal.
Traditionally, summer pastures on bordering high mountains are grazed by all of herders.
In 1978 an agreement for banning the trans-border use of pastureland was reached between the Chinese and Nepalese government.
After the notification of Singhalila National Park and Kangchenjunga National Park after 1990 by Indian government, grazing was restricted within the protected area.
China
Grazing
Nepal
India
Carrying capacity of pastures overstocked due to loss of summer pastures.
Traditional trading routes for yak products closed.
Yak productivity decline due to in-breeding.

18. Karakoram-Pamir-Wahkan landscape (KPWL)
To improve the understanding on biodiversity and climate change
To promote transboundary cooperation in conserving and sustaining ES
To enhance resilience, adaptive capacity and livelihoods of local communities.

19. Silk Road Heritage Corridors - A meeting point for traders, pilgrims and explorers

20. KPWL - A linked landscape of conservation and development:
PAs:
Wakhan
Taxkorgan
Khunjerab
Zorkul
Brogil

21. Case: Climate change’s threats and adaptation
In KPWL, a consistent rising trend of annual mean temperature and decrease of precipitation since the 20th century was reported.
Herders’ perception
Climate changed - 63%;
Warmer winters – over 60%;
Longer summers and shorter winters – 87%;
Rainfall decline in summer – 70%.

22. Adaptation to Changes – Livelihood Diversification
Internal diversification
Livestock production (migration and mix grazing)
Fodder production
Mixed cropping
External diversification
Waging and trading
Out-migration
Collection of NTFPs
Securing food

23. Understanding migratory grazing system
Movement patterns
Herds GPS data logging (April - November 2014)
Herder’s understanding (through questionnaire)
Resource distribution patterns
Grass growth calendars through remote sensing
Filed based biomass measurement / species composition
11 June 2014
Highlands (2700 m)
Overlay
analysis
Optimum routes and timing for migratory grazing

24. Grasslands growth Calendar and patterns in the upper Indus
Grasslands Growth Calendars across Elevation zones
500m
5000m
April
July
The study presents climate patterns, grassland phenology, productivity and spatio-temporal climate controls on grasslands growth using satellite data over UIB of Himalayan region, Pakistan.
Grasslands productivity is increasing along the elevation zones and alpine zone has significantly high productivity in comparison to temperate zone and sub humid tropical zone.
Majority of the area exhibited greening trend which was strong in the humid subtropical zone and weak in the alpine zone. The relatively high browning trends is observed in Alpine areas.

25. Adaptation to Change: Developing Solutions and Sharing Across the HKH
Enhancing ecosystem’s buffer capacity in withstanding shock and maintaining function.
Focusing on adaptive capacity, transformability, and learning innovation in socio-ecological resilience
HICAP
Himalica
AdaptHimal

26. ICIMOD on the OBOR ICIMOD & NSFC
OBOR Conference by CAS
OBOR Conference by NSFC
ICIMOD & NSFC
April, 2016: Bilateral Workshop on NSFC-ICIMOD Strategic Cooperation in Funding Joint Program, Chengdu

27. Thank You