| Strategic Directions | Investment Priorities |
| 1. Develop and operationalize hotspot-wide monitoring and evaluation projects | 1.1 Define five- and 10-year map-based conservation outcomes for the hotspot through a collaborative, participatory approach |
| 1.2 Support projects that utilize scientific tools to evaluate changes in land cover, spatial relationships and ecosystem health |
| 1.3 Establish a mechanism to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the site-specific projects and ensure adaptive management and sharing of lessons learned |
| 1.4 Provide resources to track human-induced environmental trends and high-resolution monitoring to report on site-specific impacts |
| 1.5 Scientific research and socioeconomic analysis to better understand biodiversity and conservation issues and threats in the region |
| 1.6 Improving the credibility and scientific methodology used for biodiversity conservation research in this hotspot |
| 2. Support site-related projects led by civil society to mitigate key threats to natural areas and species populations | 2.1 Effective nature reserve and community resource management |
| 2.2 Ecotourism and environmental education as a tool to support biodiversity conservation |
| 2.3 Ecosystem restoration, especially filling in the gaps in existing governmental programs |
| 2.4 Projects to reduce illegal and other unsustainable wild animals and plants trade |
| 2.5 Promoting biodiversity friendly "green" production or harvest of traditional Chinese medicines |
| 3. Build capacity of civil society to implement conservation efforts at a site and regional level | 3.1 Assess, develop and implement a series of training programs based on the training needs in the region. Training could focus on a number of topics including reserve management, the fundamentals of green businesses, business management for conservation and environmental education |
| 3.2 Provide resources for individuals in the region to participate in training opportunities |
| 3.3 Establish a trainers' training program in the region to multiply transfer of skills and knowledge to conservation professionals in the region |
| 4. Integrate biodiversity conservation concerns and benefits into the implementation of policies and programs at local, regional and national levels | 4.1 Demonstrate best-case innovative approaches for integrating biodiversity concerns into local, regional and national development programs |
| 4.2 Collect and disseminate information about biodiversity and socioeconomic benefits of conservation to improve implementation of existing government initiatives and influence national policies |
| 4.3 Communicate successful examples of innovative approaches to public-private efforts to better integrate biodiversity conservation into governmental efforts |
| 5. Develop and operationalize a small grants program focusing on conservation capacity-building and research projects | 5.1 Provide funding to individuals and institutions for research analysis or small-scale activities that will help build the conservation capacity of civil society and/or yield measurable mitigation of threats |
| 5.2 Provide technical support to trainees to enable better design and implementation of small on-the-ground projects |
Mountains of Southwest China
