Investments in biodiversity conservation in the Eastern Himalayas Region come from the national governments, bilateral and multilateral agencies, and international and regional NGOs. Below, we summarize the major funding sources and projects in the region. The summary does not represent an exhaustive list, but is only meant to act as a guide in determining funding gaps and opportunities for complementary investment by CEPF.
In Nepal, the Terai Arc Landscape receives funding from several bilateral and multilateral donors. One of the largest investments is the $12.8 million GEF Nepal Biodiversity Landscape Project to be implemented from 2004-2011 for landscape conservation in the western complex of the Terai Arc Landscape within Nepal. The government’s contribution to this project will be $3.7 million, while $9.1 million will be sought from UNDP/GEF, WWF, the Netherlands Development Organization (SNV) and GEF. The British Aid Agency (DFID) will implement the 10-year, GBP 8.2 million Livelihoods and Forestry Program in three Terai districts and 11 other hill districts. The three districts in the Terai and one hill district (Dang) are within the Terai Arc Landscape. The program’s focus is to increase benefits to the poor by assisting them move from passive to active community forest management. The program also seeks to move government and donors involved in forestry toward a sector-wide approach including supporting policy developments. USAID will invest $8.7 million between 2002-2006 to improve local control over conservation, management, and sustainable natural resource use, and to increase advocacy capacity of selected civil society organizations. From 2001-2006, SNV will invest $2.2 million under the BISEP project for forest management in the inner Terai and Siwalik Hills for biodiversity conservation and equitable economic development. SNV, KFW (German Bank) and HMG Biogas Support Program will fund 200,000 biogas plants between 2003 and 2010. Since 1997, Action Aid/DiFD has been implementing a 1.5 million GBP project to eradicate poverty through community empowerment of the poorest and most marginalized sectors by enhancing their capacities to have access and control resources, advocating in their favor, and strengthening local government involvement in poverty alleviation. The Save The Tiger Fund has invested more than $1 million in tiger conservation the Terai Arc Landscape. WWF Nepal has committed $800,000 per year over the next five years under the Critical Area Restoration Project (CARP) to restore degraded corridors. A comprehensive strategic plan is being prepared for the Terai Arc that may show large gaps in real biodiversity conservation.
In the Kanchenjunga-Singalila Complex, the secured and anticipated budget for three years is roughly $500,000. Most of the secured funds are from the MacArthur Foundation. The Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project has more than $20,000 from WWF-UK mostly on a snow leopard project and another $20,000 is expected from the ADB to develop ecotourism within the conservation area. The Kadoorie microhydro project is expected to receive about $75,000 in funding.
In Bhutan, several bilateral donors have been investing in conservation of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex. Between 1998 and 2003, the government of Denmark (DANIDA) invested $13.3 million in capacity building and training to establish an institutional framework of professionals to carry out environmental management and awareness. The European Union ($13.8 million for watershed management in western Bhutan, Germany/GTZ ($5.6 million), Helvetas/SDC ($3 million) and Canada/IDRC ($238,000) have been supporting projects to promote sustainable natural resource use and improve livelihoods of rural people. SNV has also been supporting protected areas management and community development, the latter with a $2.1 million investment, with $125,000 support for protected areas management. The Dutch government has also allocated $12 million over five years to establish an ex-situ plant conservation facility and information database. Since 1995, the Save The Tiger Fund has provided roughly $150,000 for tiger conservation within the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex. Since 1998, the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation has invested $4.3 million in capacity building within the nature conservation and forestry sector through overseas and in-country training; staff recruitment to government institutions; management of protected areas, forests, and wildlife; and environmental education. Within the NGO sector, WWF has, and is supporting various activities such as anti-poaching, environmental education, database and information, capacity building, and protected areas management with an ongoing investment that has now exceeded $1.6 million. Much of this represents complementary support to large projects. However, WWF has also made significant investments through non-monetary support to the Nature Conservation Division in conservation and by promoting the creation of the Bhutan Biological Conservation Complex. There are also several GEF-funded projects in Bhutan implemented by UNDP.
Detailed investment portfolios are difficult to obtain from the northeast India states. Many small national NGOs cannot receive funds directly from foreign organizations, and central government and state funds are entrenched within a complex bureaucracy. Within the NGO sector, there are a few larger organizations that serve as overall coordinators for smaller grassroots projects. These NGOs are able to serve as ‘nodes’ to receive foreign exchange grants, and disburse grants to support work by the numerous grassroots NGOs and CBOs.
Aaranyak is one of these nodal NGOs that have supported a range of projects, from education and outreach to research, surveys, and ex-situ conservation of Endangered species, to legal, advocacy issues and community-based conservation with investments ranging from $500 to $35,000. Aaranyak implemented these projects through collaborations with a number of grassroots NGOs such as Green Guard, Nature’s Foster, Green Heart Nature Club, Green Forest Conservation and New Horizon, and with larger regional institutions such as CEE and the Bombay Natural History Society. Several of these projects address conservation of priority species outcomes (greater one-horned rhinoceros, Asian elephant, golden langur, pygmy hog, adjutants and dark-rumped swift) and site outcomes (Manas National Park, Namdapha National Park, Kaziranga National Park), which are within the priority corridor outcomes in the northeast region of India. Financial support for these projects has come from a variety of organizations, such as the International Centre for Conservation Education, U.K., Primate Conservation Inc., Conservation International, The American Society of Primatology, Community Conservation Inc., USA, the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
CEE administers a UNDP small grant program on environmental protection in the eight northeastern states. Currently there are 11 ongoing projects in the region. Over the last two years, WWF has invested about $70,000 to initiate conservation activities in the North Bank landscape with a focus on elephants, and will spend $120,000 this year. WWF offices in Guwahati (Assam), Ithanagar (Arunachal Pradesh), Sikkim and Darjeeling (W. Bengal) implement many small projects with local NGOs and CBOs. The MacArthur Foundation has supported projects in the northeast Indian states of Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh through various NGOs, as well as in Nepal and Bhutan (2002 to 2004, $2.5 million). Among the bilateral donors, the India-Canada Environment Facility (ICEF) has funded several projects that focus on developing natural resources and improving environmental management capacity within the government and NGO/CBO sector to address natural resource, water, and energy issues. Some of the projects funded by ICEF include: the Nagaland Environment Protection and Economic Development Project to regulate and improve productivity in traditional jhum by Naga farmers; a project to empower Village Development Boards to support and promote development through agro-forestry in Nagaland; to restore the ecology of Loktak Lake (a priority site outcome); and education and capacity building to promote nature conservation and environment among students and teachers in Arunachal Pradesh. The International Fund for Agriculture Development is implementing a FAO-funded project in six upland districts of Manipur, Assam, and Meghalaya to enable community institutions and self-help groups to manage natural resources. The project sites include the Kaziranga-Karbi-Anlong Landscape.
Previous: Synopsis of Current Threats / Next: CEPF Niche for Investment