Posted on November, 09 2011

On the 19th of November the Royal Government of Bhutan will host the Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas Bhutan 2011. The event will bring together leaders from the governments of Bangladesh, Bhutan, India and Nepal to agree upon and commit to a plan for adaptation to climate change.

Included in the plan are proposals to ensure the protection and sustainable use of biodiversity in the Himalayas, and WWF’s long history in the region puts it in a unique position to provide existing projects as successful examples.

One such example is WWF-India’s Red Panda Project.

The project is focused on the conservation of the red panda – a rare tree dwelling mammal found in the deciduous broad leaf and coniferous forests of the Eastern Himalayas. These forests are steadily being cleared for timber extraction, agricultural development and livestock grazing, and the species has been extensively hunted for its pelt – used in traditional hats and clothing across the border in China. As such the presence of this characterful species in the Eastern Himalayas is threatened.

The Red Panda Project

Recognizing this WWF-India initiated the Red Panda Project – currently working with communities and governments to conserve this rare species across its distributional range in northeastern India. Particularly the far northeastern states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh nestled in the high Himalayas.

In Sikkim preliminary assessments on status, habitat conditions and possible threats have been completed in 3 protected areas in partnership with the government of Sikkim. According to Dr. Partha Sarathi Ghose, WWF-India’s Senior Project Officer, these preliminary studies have revealed encouraging results.

“During the survey the team encountered red panda on 7 occasions, and a more intensive survey at Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary, Sikkim, revealed that there could be about 20 – 25 red pandas there – far more than we predicted.”

The red panda team is currently working in Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, western Sikkim. The team has again found evidence of red panda, including 1 sighting, and 2 photos taken by camera traps installed to assess the density of Red Panda in the Sanctuary.

A habitat under threat

During these surveys, however, it was noticed that the collection of firewood and bamboo by residents living in the villages on the forest fringe, was exerting considerable stress on potential red panda habitat. In response WWF-India has installed solar water-heater units in 2 villages around Pangolakha Wildlife Sanctuary to reduce the dependency of villagers on fire and fuel wood.

WWF-India has also promoted the use of bio-briquettes (a biofuel substitute made of green waste and other organic materials) in the fringe villages of Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary, and trained community members on bio-briquette manufacture. This further reduces the reliance on firewood for cooking and heating, and provides an alternative source of income for the manufacturers.

In addition to this the presence of feral dogs in the forests emerged as a significant threat to the red panda and other native wildlife. WWF-India is now about to initiate a joint management programme in collaboration with the Government of Sikkim’s Department of Forest, Environment and Wildlife Management, the State Veterinary Department, and local communities to control the problem in sensitive red panda areas.

Securing the biodiversity of the Himalayas

This project is just one example of how WWF is working with the communities and governments of the Eastern Himalayas to protect species, whilst improving sustainable livelihoods. And it is projects like this that will contribute to the outcomes of the forthcoming Climate Summit for a Living Himalayas Bhutan 2011, and help ensure that those outcomes become a success. With governments and communities working together to build sustainable livelihoods, the future of the regions biodiversity looks far more secure.