During stakeholder consultations when compiling this ecosystem profile and from previous expert consultations when developing a biodiversity vision for the eastern Himalayas ecoregion complex, the regional experts emphasized the need for: a) large-scale conservation for saving the region’s megafauna and representative ecosystems; b) conservation efforts that transcend protected areas boundaries; c) innovative public-private alliances and partnerships for conservation and; d) the participation of local people in natural resource management.
CEPF’s geographic focus for investments should be the 60 priority site outcomes and the corridor outcomes in the five priority landscapes (Figure 4, Table 5), which capture important populations of all the priority species (Table 4). While the 24 priority sites outside of the priority corridors (Table 5) capture species outcomes that can be conserved within sites, the landscapes are necessary to conserve the region’s wide-ranging megafauna. Landscape conservation requires maintaining landscape matrices that are compatible with conservation objectives. Most of these matrices and unprotected sites are—or were—managed under traditional systems that are now being eroded by external economic forces, introduction of new technology that can undermine the emphasis traditional systems placed on biodiversity and unsustainable use of land in attempts to increase productivity or support larger, denser human populations. Thus, CEPF should take up the challenge of building strategic alliances and coalitions among civil society groups to enable them to address key conservation issues in landscape conservation and seize opportunities for conservation presented by major national policy changes in favor of biodiversity.
CEPF resources will make the greatest incremental impact in the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, the Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, and the North Bank Landscape. These three corridors have traditionally received less funding for conservation than the Terai Arc and Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape. While all five priority corridors are eligible for CEPF support and are important for global significant biodiversity, particular emphasis will be placed on the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex, Kangchenjunga-Singalila Complex, and North Bank Landscape. CEPF support in the Terai Arc and Kaziranga-Karbi Anlong Landscape will be used for very targeted and strategic activities that leverages, maximizes and complements the existing funding already going to these landscapes. CEPF will therefore invest the majority of its resources for the Eastern Himalayas toward building momentum in the lesser-funded landscapes in the region.
National governments, bilateral and multilateral aid agencies, and several international organizations are already infusing substantial financial support to environment-related programs in the priority landscapes. But, as evident from the current investment analysis, many of these focus on natural resource management and lack adequate biodiversity conservation components. Thus, even with the relatively modest funds available, CEPF has a good opportunity to leverage matching funds and catalyze larger conservation programs. By collaborating with larger initiatives in the region, CEPF can provide momentum for a long-term regional conservation initiative in the eastern Himalayas.
CEPF should also seek to build partnership approaches with grassroots NGOs capable of conducting species-specific conservation actions (e.g., Green Guards, Green Manas).
Therefore, CEPF’s niche in the region should be to:
- influence and add synergy to existing biodiversity conservation programs through civil society;
- complement and leverage funds where large development projects do not directly address biodiversity conservation or where the investments are inadequate; and
- support and strengthen civil society’s role in conservation, especially in species-specific actions and in influencing biodiversity policies
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