प्रोजेक्ट स्नो लेपर्ड।
Project Snow Leopard Ministry of Environment and Forests
Published by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, 2008 by the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun. Citation: Anon. 2008. The Project Snow Leopard. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India, New Delhi. Design: Chandramouli, Hyderabad for Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore Front cover photos: Milan Trykar (ISLT), Dennis Conner (ISLT), Fritz Polking (ISLT), Yash Veer Bhatnagar Back cover photo: Yash Veer Bhatnagar All illustrations © Maya Ramaswamy & NCF
Project Snow Leopard Ministry of Environment and Forests
PREFACE The snow leopard, and indeed the entire Himalayan landscape and wildlife, forms part of India’s unique natural heritage. Our country is gifted with a vast high altitude landscape that is endowed with tremendous biodiversity values and resident people, who have respected, understood and coexisted with wildlife here for millennia. People inhabiting this region, which mostly occurs above the cultivable zone, are primarily pastoral with limited alternatives for survival in a rather austere landscape. The coexistence of people and wildlife in these regions is now threatened due to pressures of the burgeoning human and livestock populations. Since wildlife of the region is spread across the entire landscape (but at low densities), in areas traditionally used by people also, it is important to adapt our conservation approach to suit the needs of this specific region. I am happy to note that my ministry has undertaken this effort to prepare a project after prolonged consultations with most of the important stakeholders of the region that should generate better conservation models not only for the snow leopard range, but for the country in general. The Project Snow Leopard initiative strives to ensure conservation in the region is based on sound science and participatory planning and implementation of programmes that balances the needs of local people and conservation. The project proposes to put important guidelines in place, build capacity of local people and forest department staff and set up or strengthen institutions at the village, landscape, state and central levels
P R O J E C T S N O W L E O P A R D GOAL: To safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions. DRAFTED BY: Project Snow Leopard Committee instituted by the Ministry of Environ- ment and Forests, Government of India, (vide Notification No. F.No., 15-5/2006 WL I, Dated 31 July 2006) (Annexure 1). LOCATION: All biologically important landscapes in the Himalayan high altitudes in the states of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim, and Arunachal Pradesh. Snow leopard (Panthera uncia) Milan Trykar, Courtesy: ISLT
2 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Himalayan cold deserts primarily consist of sparsely vegetated steppes, small patches of moist sedge meadows near water bodies and vast areas that are barren and under permafrost and glaciers. Most of these high altitudes (regions above 3000m) are the headwaters of all major rivers of northern India. The Himalaya are home to unique biodiversity including at least 350 species of mammals, 1200 species of birds, 635 species of amphibians and reptiles1, and numerous plants including those with medicinal properties. Over 335 species of wild relatives of cultivated crops are found in the region2. There are numerous biologically important wetlands that form breeding grounds for waterfowl. 1.2. An important distinctiveness of the higher altitudes of the Himalaya comes from the fact that wildlife populations here occur over most of the landscape, their contiguity broken primarily by natural geographical features such as a high mountain chain or a river, and rarely by human induced barriers. Even endangered species of wildlife are not restricted to protected areas, but occur across the larger landscape. However, the human population density in the Himalayan high altitudes is on the rise and so is the magnitude of people’s dependence on the natural resources. Since the harsh climate and topography of the area are relatively less conducive to agriculture and other developmental options such as industry, most of the region is largely dependent on pastoralism. Wild herbivore species are getting out-competed and their populations are declining 1 Pei Shengji 1996. (ed.) Banking on Biodiversity, Report of the Regional Consultation on Biodiversity Assessment in the Hindu Kush-Himalayas, ICIMOD. 2 Arora, R. and Nayar, L. 1984 Wild relatives of crop plants in India. NGPR Science Monograph, New Delhi. Figure 1. Map of northern India and neighbouring countries showing the important mountain ranges, including the Greater Himalayan and the Tibetan Plateau. Areas above 3000m broadly constitute snow leopard range in India
INTRODUCTION | 3 due to increasing livestock populations in many areas3. This is leading to an increased dependence of wild predators such as the snow leopard Uncia uncia and the wolf Canis lupus on livestock4, causing intense human-wildlife conflicts5.
Poaching is a major threat in some areas, along with opening up of areas due to road
building, pressures from immigrant labour forces, etc6. In other areas scarce moist meadows that are
important foraging grounds of wild herbivores, are either being converted to cultivation, or fenced
to prevent wild ungulate grazing7. There are increasing reports of conflicts due to crop depredation
by wildlife. Military and para-military personnel need extensive road networks and are usually
settled near important but fragile wetland sites or key mountain passes that are also important for
wildlife species such as the Tibetan argali Ovis ammon and waterfowl. The conservation scenario
is fast changing and wild species are declining and becoming locally extinct8. Climate change is
also expected to affect this landscape significantly that may influence both local livelihoods and
biodiversity values of the region.
1.3.
The endangered snow leopard occurs over most of the high altitudes of Central Asia and
Himalaya9. Little is known about the species’ ecology, status and even distribution10. The coarse
global population estimate for the snow leopard is c. 7,400 individuals, and the species is classified
as Endangered in the IUCN’s Red List. The total potential habitat of the snow leopard globally
is estimated to be c. 2 million km2, with most animals occurring in China, followed by Mongolia
and India. India is believed to have between 400 and 700 snow leopards in the five Himalayan
states, though these estimates are not precise. With its wide distribution, precarious conservation
status, and immense aesthetic appeal, the snow leopard is an effective flagship species for wildlife
conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes.
3 Mishra, C. 2001. High altitude survival: conflicts between pastoralism and wildlife in the Trans-Himalaya. Ph.D. Thesis, Wageningen University, The Netherlands.
4 Bagchi, S. and Mishra, C. 2006. Living with large carnivores: predation on livestock by the snow leopard (Uncia uncia). Journal of Zoology (London) 268: 217-224
5 Mishra, C. 1997. Livestock depredation by large carnivores in the Indian trans-Himalaya: conflict perceptions and conservation prospects. Environmental Conservation, 24: 338-343
6 PSL 2006. Towards Project Snow Leopard: report of the national workshop on Project Snow Leopard. 10th-11th July, 2006, Leh, Ladakh. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India,
Dept. of Wildlife Protection, J&K, Nature Conservation Foundation, and International Snow Leopard Trust, Mysore, India.
7 Bhatnagar, Y. V., Wangchuk, R., Prins, H. H. T., Van Wieren, S. E., Mishra, C. 2006. Perceived conflicts between pastoralism and conservation of the kiang Equus kiang in the Ladakh Trans-
Himalaya, India. Environmental Management. 38:934–941
8 Chundawat, R.S. and Qureshi, Q. 1999. Planning wildlife conservation in Leh and Kargil districts of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir. Report submitted to the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun.
9 Jackson, R.M. 1996. Home range, movements and habitat use of snow leopard (Uncia Uncia) in Nepal. Ph.D. Thesis, University of London, United Kingdom.
10 McCarthy, T. M. and G. Chapron. 2003. Snow Leopard Survival Strategy. International Snow Leopard Trust and Snow Leopard Network, Seattle, USA.
Trans Himalayan landscape
Rugged mountains in the Middle Himalaya Greater Himalaya Yash Veer Bhatnagar
4 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD 1.4. Despite the ecological importance, the harsh conditions, and the increasing threats to conservation in the region, the wildlife of the Himalayan high altitudes has received little conservation attention. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, had initiated work on a flagship Snow Leopard Scheme in 198811, but it could not be launched. In 2004, the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) began a consultative process in all the five Himalayan states (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh) to assess the need and scope for initiating Project Snow Leopard. A concept paper was prepared together with the Chief Wildlife Wardens that outlined the project justification and its objectives12. The goal of the project was articulated as “To safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions.” These issues were further discussed in separate state level workshops with a cross- section of the Forest and Wildlife Departments in each state. The workshops focused on identifying project areas 11 Anonymous 1988. The Snow Leopard Conservation Scheme. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India.. 12 PSL 2006. Towards Project Snow Leopard: report of the national workshop on Project Snow Leopard. 10th-11th July, 2006, Leh, Ladakh. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, Department of Wildlife Protection, Jammu & Kashmir, Nature Conservation Foundation, and International Snow Leopard Trust, Mysore, India. Honorable Minister of Environment & Forests, Thiru Raja, inaugurating the Project Snow Leopard National Meeting in Leh (July 2006) Discussions in the Project Snow Leopard National Meeting in Leh within each state, the constraints faced by the departments in managing high altitude wildlife, and possible strategies and actions to overcome the constraints. This was followed up with a national workshop in Leh in July 2006 that was sponsored by the MoEF and organized by the Jammu & Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection, in technical collaboration with NCF and the International Snow Leopard Trust. This workshop brought together officials and decision makers from the Government, scientists from the Wildlife Institute of India and other institutions, and conservation practitioners and NGOs to outline the structure of Project Snow Leopard. Following the recommendations of this national workshop, the MoEF constituted a committee to draft a strategy and action plan for Project Snow Leopard. 1.5. The Project Snow Leopard is an Indian initiative for strengthening wildlife conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes. It aims to promote a knowledge-based and adaptive conservation framework that fully involves the local communities, who share the snow leopard’s range, in conservation efforts. Navinder J. Singh
Project Justification | 5 2.1. The high altitudes of India (> 3000 m, c. 130,000 km2, including the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya biogeographic zones) support a unique wildlife assemblage of global conservation importance. This includes highly endangered populations of species such as the snow leopard Uncia uncia two species of bears Ursus spp., wolf Canis lupus, red panda Ailurus fulgens, mountain ungulates such as the wild yak Bos grunniens, chiru Pantholops hodgsoni, Tibetan gazelle Procapra picticaudata, Tibetan argali Ovis ammon, Ladakh urial Ovis vignei, two species of musk deer Moschus spp., the hangul Cervus elaphus, three species of goral Nemorhaedus spp., serow N. sumatraensis, and takin Budorcas taxicolor, to name a few. High altitude lakes and bogs provide breeding grounds for a variety of avifauna including the black-necked crane Grus nigricollis, bar- headed geese Anser indicus, brahminy ducks Tadorna ferruginia, and brown-headed gulls Larus brunnicephalus. 2.2. There has been relatively less attention on the region from the viewpoint of wildlife conservation. Owing to the efforts of programmes such as Project Tiger and Project Elephant, a substantial proportion of India’s population are aware of the precarious conservation status of 2 P r o j e c t J u s t i f i c a t i o n Ibex (Capra sibirica) Yash Veer Bhatnagar
6 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD species such as the tiger Panthera tigris and Asian elephant Elephas maximus, and of the efforts to conserve them. However, few are aware of even the existence of species such as the chiru, the kiang Equus kiang, and the snow leopard in India. Although a Snow Leopard Scheme was thought of about two decades back, it could not be implemented13. Recent scientific research has substantially increased our knowledge of wildlife ecology and human society in Indian high altitudes, facilitating the development of a well-informed conservation policy. 2.3. The region represents a vast rangeland system supporting important traditional pastoral economies and lifestyles. Pastoralism in the Indian high altitudes dates back to several millennia, and, today, forms an important traditional means of livelihood that has economic and cultural value. Trade in pashmina wool is already an important local industry in many areas. The unique high altitude vegetation, with rare plants, has led to the development of rich local medicinal systems. Many high altitude herbs are also being used by pharmaceutical and Ayurvedic industries. Today, natural resource use including grazing and other forms of resource extraction (fuel, timber, medicinal plants) is pervasive in the entire Indian high altitude landscape, including inside protected areas. 2.4. The region provides essential ecosystem services and harbours river systems vital for the nation’s food security. Several perennial rivers such as the Indus, Ganga, Yamuna, Sutluj, Tista and Bhramaputra, have their main catchments in the Indian high altitudes and supply drinking water, irrigation, and electricity to the entire north and north-eastern states of India. Degradation and erosion of the fragile mountainous landscape will therefore not just threaten the region’s natural resources, but also the nation’s food security. 2.5. The high altitudes of India represent a unique biogeographic region where wildlife is distributed across the landscape, and not restricted to protected areas. This includes populations of large carnivores such as the snow leopard, wolf Canis lupus, and brown bear U. arctos. In fact, highly endangered populations of species such as the Ladakh urial, chiru, Tibetan gazelle, and Tibetan argali as also black-necked crane Grus nigricollis occur primarily outside the protected area network. Conservation efforts therefore need to look beyond the network of protected areas, and 13 Anonymous. 1988. The Snow Leopard Scheme. Ministry of Environment & Forests, Government of India. Tibetan gazelle (Procapra picticaudata) in northern Sikkim Livestock in Changthang, Ladakh Black necked cranes (Grus nigricollis) in Changthang, Ladakh (From L to R) Pranav Chandani, Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Project Justification | 7 development activities across the entire landscape need to be made ecologically responsible. 2.6. India has ratified international agreements promoting the conservation of high altitude wildlife species such as the snow leopard. In 2003, the Convention on Migratory Species included the snow leopard as a Concerted Action Species under its Appendix I. Similarly, in 2003, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES) expanded the scope of the CITES Tiger Enforcement Task Force to include all Asian big cat species including the snow leopard. In both cases, representatives of the MoEF played a vital role in elevating the conservation prominence of the snow leopard internationally. On-ground action to improve the conservation status of the snow leopard and other high altitude wildlife in India will be an appropriate follow-up to the positive actions already undertaken on international platforms the Government of India. 2.7. The region is important for the country’s national security as well as international relations. Most of the Indian high altitude region fringes international borders. The welfare of local people through ecologically responsible development is therefore important for the country’s national security. Furthermore, the wildlife value of the region makes the possibility of establishing
8 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD spreading exotic diseases to wildlife. Overstocking rangelands with livestock is causing vegetation degradation, which threatens the sustainability of pastoral production as well as the survival of wildlife populations15. There are increasing linkages between local persecution of wildlife and the larger illegal wildlife trade. Unplanned tourism threatens sensitive and biologically important high altitude wetlands. Although in many areas there has been substantial cultural tolerance for wildlife, this is fast eroding in the face of development and human-wildlife conflicts16. 2.10. The existing high altitude protected areas in India require considerable strengthening. The protected area management in the Indian high altitudes often faces a lack of resources, manpower, and training. Some existing protected areas do not have a clear boundary demarcation, while some others have large areas within them that are of little biological value. Given the lack of options and alternatives for local communities in this harsh landscape, most of the protected areas are often intensively used for livestock grazing and other forms of resource extraction, even inside National Parks. The harsh, remote, and marginal landscape provides few opportunities for alternate livelihood sources for the local communities, and it is nearly impossible to create and maintain large, inviolate National Parks. Most protected areas in the region lack updated and effective management plans and, compared to the Tiger and Elephant reserves, have not received adequate conservation attention. Protected area management in the region needs to be rationalized with clear management plans and land use zonation, with greater technical and monetary resources being made available to wildlife managers. 2.11. Wildlife management in the region needs to be made participatory. Given the widespread occurrence of wildlife on common land, and the continued traditional land use within protected areas, it is imperative that wildlife conservation efforts be made participatory both within and outside protected areas. Such a participatory approach will be facilitated by the relatively intact and functional traditional administrative bodies such as the village councils in most of the high altitude landscape. The success of recent experiments in participatory conservation underscores the 15 Mishra, C., Prins, H. H. T. and Van Wieren, S. E. 2001. Overstocking in the Trans-Himalayan rangelands of India. Environmental Conservation 28: 279-283 16 Bhatnagar, Y. V., Wangchuk, R., Prins, H. H. T., Van Wieren, S. E., Mishra, C. 2006. Perceived conflicts between pastoralism and conservation of the kiang Equus kiang in the Ladakh Trans- Himalaya, India. Environmental Management. 38:934–941 Young monks in a ceremony in Leh, Ladakh Gujjar settlements in the Limber WLS, Kashmir Thikse gompa (monastry), Ladakh Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Project Justification | 9 desirability and feasibility of participatory wildlife management in the Indian high altitudes. These participatory approaches need to be coupled with better protection and law enforcement. 2.12. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, constituted a committee to formulate the Project Snow Leopard (vide Notification - F. No. 15-5/2006 WL I, Dated 31 July 2006) in response to the recommendations of the national workshop (10-11 July 2006) organized jointly by the MoEF and the Jammu & Kashmir Department of Wildlife Protection, in technical collaboration with the Nature Conservation Foundation (NCF) and the International Snow Leopard Trust (ISLT)17. This workshop, chaired by the Union Minister for Environment and Forests, brought together representatives of all the five Himalayan states and scientists of the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), NCF, ISLT, and several other institutions and NGOs for discussions on the need, scope, and structure for the Project Snow Leopard. Prior to the national workshop, each of the five Himalayan states (Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh), led by their respective Chief Wildlife Wardens had independently articulated the need, scope, and strategies for conservation in the Himalayan high altitudes in state-level workshops organized by NCF in 2004-05 (see PSL 2006). The recommendations of the National Workshop on Project Snow Leopard are placed as Annexure 2. 17 PSL 2006. Towards Project Snow Leopard: report of the national workshop on Project Snow Leopard. 10th-11th July, 2006, Leh, Ladakh. Ministry of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India, Dept. of Wildlife Protection, J&, Nature Conservation Foundation, and International Snow Leopard Trust, Mysore, India. Pongong tso, Ladakh Kiang (Equus kiang) in Tso Kar basin, Ladakh Northern plateau of Sikkim in winter (From L to R) Yash Veer Bhatnagar, YVB, Pranav Chandani
10 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Given the widespread occurrence of wildlife on common land, and the continued traditional land use within protected areas, Wildlife management in the region needs to be made participatory both within and outside protected areas
12 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD facilitate the identification of biologically important landscapes (> 1000 km2), and assist in the development of landscape-level management plans based on management objective-setting (and zonation) for each landscape unit (10-100 km2) therein (section 5). 3.2. Rationalize the existing protected area network and improve protected area management Within the larger landscape, Project Snow Leopard will facilitate biologically and socially meaningful demarcation as well as zonation of existing protected areas and the surrounding landscape based on the landscape unit approach (Section 5), facilitate the establishment of new protected areas, the development of ecologically and socially responsible management plans, the development of frameworks for participatory conservation management, and provisioning of resources and capacity development of protected area staff. 3.3. Develop a framework for wildlife Temperate forest in northern Kashmir, J&K conservation outside protected areas and promote ecologically responsible development Project Snow Leopard will facilitate initiatives required for preserving and promoting local peoples’ tolerance towards wildlife, as well as support initiatives that promote the continued persistence and recovery of wildlife populations on common land. Project Snow Leopard will assist in conservation- linked income generation and incentive programmes for local communities. 3.4. Support focused conservation and recovery programmes for endangered species such as the snow leopard and its prey species Project Snow Leopard will encourage scientifically robust research (ecological and social), and the use of this knowledge for formulating and implementing participatory, science-based conservation programs at local and regional levels. 3.5. Promote stronger measures for wildlife protection and law enforcement Project Snow Leopard will support initiatives that lead to enhanced capacity of wildlife department staff and local communities to effect stronger wildlife law enforcement through training, equipment, and innovative community-based protection measures. 3.6. Promote better understanding and management of human-wildlife conflicts Project Snow Leopard will support ecological and social research leading to better local Vast sedge meadows in the Upper Indus valley, Ladakh Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Project Objectives | 13 understanding of human-wildlife conflicts, and encourage the development of knowledge-based frameworks that will allow for flexible and locally appropriate, community-based conflict resolution programmes that can be administered and managed by local bodies such as village councils. 3.7. Restore degraded landscapes in the high altitude Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan biogeographic regions Project Snow Leopard will support efforts to design and implement restoration programmes in degraded areas that have restoration potential. Restoration projects whose need is adequately justified, and which are designed based on rigorous scientific research, would be supported. 3.8. Promote a knowledge-based approach to conservation and an adaptive framework for wildlife management Project Snow Leopard will support and encourage high quality scientific research and monitoring of wildlife and human ecology, and enable management frameworks that are adaptive, periodically incorporating ecological and social feedback into management planning. 3.9. Reduce existing anthropogenic pressures on natural resources Project Snow Leopard will support participatory programmes that aim at reducing human pressures on natural resources by provisioning of alternate income sources to local communities and value- addition to locally produced goods and services. Livestock grazing is prevalent in all protected areas of the region and forms an important source of livelihood for the people. Project Snow Leopard will support the formulation and implementation of appropriate grazing policies for both within and outside Protected Areas that will aim to harmonize the objectives of pastoralism with those of wildlife conservation. 3.10. Promote local capacity, conservation education and awareness Project Snow Leopard will support education and awareness programmes for wildlife conservation targeted at local communities, children, as well as other human institutions including Gram Sabhas, EDCs, defence forces, road construction agencies, travel agents, etc. Project Snow Leopard will support programmes that aim to enhance the capacity of individuals and institutions from local communities in effecting wildlife conservation. Researchers in Ladakh Cow killed by a Tibetan wolf (Canis lupus chanko) in the Kibber WLS, Spiti, HP Yash Veer Bhatnagar
14 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD The goal of Project Snow Leopard is to safeguard and conserve India’s unique natural heritage of high altitude wildlife populations and their habitats by promoting conservation through participatory policies and actions.
Project Areas | 15
Project Snow Leopard is designed for all biologically important habitats within the snow leopard’s range, irrespective of their ownership (e.g. Protected Areas, common land, etc.). Forming an estimated 1,29,000 km2 within India, these areas generally comprise the non-forested or sparsely-forested high altitude regions of the Himalaya and Trans-Himalaya above elevations of c. 3,000 m in the Western Himalaya and above c. 4,000m in the eastern Himalaya. In each of the five Himalayan states, the proportion of area thus falling under the purview of the Project Snow Leopard is between 20 to 60% of the state’s total geographical area (Table 1, Annexure 3). The project will place due emphasis on biologically important landscapes that fall outside the protected area network. Within this larger area, the project will support scientific surveys that will enable the identification and delineation of biologically important landscapes and landscape units. Broad geographical setting within each state Within each state, the potential project areas were tentatively identified in the state-level workshops (see PSL 2006). This information, summarized below, will be subsequently updated based on surveys conducted by each state. 4 P r o j e c t
A r e a s Musk deer G.S. Rawat
16 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Arunachal Pradesh There is potential snow leopard habitat all along the northern boundary of Arunachal Pradesh at elevations above 4,000 m. Most of this area is yet to be surveyed. Some of the protected areas that may come within the purview of the project include the designated HH Tsangyang Gyatso World Peace Park (2520 km2, Tawang and West Kameng districts, western Arunachal, located around the Se La range), areas in and around Namdapha National Park (1985 km2, Changlang district, eastern Arunachal), Kamlang Wildlife Sanctuary (783 km2, Lohit district, eastern Arunachal), State Potential Area Under PSL (km2) Approximate percentage of each State’s area falling under the Project Approximate percentage of total Project Area covered by each State Jammu & Kashmir* 77,833 61 60 Himachal Pradesh 27,846 50 22 Uttarakhand 13,885 23 11 Sikkim 3,031 36 2 Arunachal Pradesh 6,162 08 5 Total 1,28,757 Table 1: Geographical scope of the Project Snow Leopard in the ve Himalayan states. e gures for the Western Himalaya include areas abo e 3000 m and those for the Eastern Himalaya are abo e 4,000 m. Estimates are based on Digital Elevation Model om Shuttle Radar Topography Mission (SRTM).
- Includes area within the LOC and the LAC Monpa lady in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh Yordi Rabe Supse Wildlife Sanctuary (485 km2, West Siang, central Arunachal), Mouling National Park (500 km2, Upper Siang, central Arunachal) and the Dihang Dibang Biosphere Reserve (5120 km2, West Siang, Upper Siang, and Dibang Valley, central Arunachal). However, most of these areas need to be surveyed and their biological appropriateness assessed for inclusion under Project Snow Leopard. Additionally, a considerable amount of as yet unsurveyed high- altitude area in-between these protected areas is expected to get included under this programme once surveys are undertaken. A. Datta
Project Areas | 17 Sikkim Most of the areas above 4000 m in the state would get included. In the Trans-Himalayan region, these include all areas within the proposed Cold Desert Conservation Reserve, such as Lhonak Valley, Lashar Valley, Donkung – Tso Lhamo Plateau, Sebu La, Lava, Yume Samdong, Upper Thosa lake (source of Chakung Chu), and Nimphu. In the Greater Himalaya, this would include Khangchenzonga National Park including areas such as Kishong La, Green Lake, Lampokhri, Bikhma taar, Talung Glacier, Dudh Pokhri, Khang La in West Sikkim and Lampokhri (Jelepla) in East Sikkim. Uttarakhand Six districts in the state come under the purview of the Project Snow Leopard (areas above 3000 m). These are – Uttarkashi, Tehri, Rudraprayag, Chamoli, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar. Within these districts the existing Protected Area blocks will include Gangotri National Park including Nelong Valley, Gomukh, and Tapovan, Govind Wildlife Sanctuary and National Park, Kedarnath Musk Deer Sanctuary, Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve, Pindari, Sunderdhunga, and Askot Wildlife Sanctuary. Other important corridor areas, not under PA network, but with potential for snow leopard and prey species include areas northwest of Govind Pashu Vihar towards Sangla Valley, Dayara-Gidara-Bhu complex, Sahastra Tal-Khatling-Masar Tal, Urgam-Khiron, Dasauli Block VIII, Nandakini I, Pinderpar IV Forest blocks (Badrinath Forest Division), and Gori River-Panchchuli-Chhiplakot stretch. Himachal Pradesh In Himachal Pradesh, the areas included under the scope of the Project Snow Leopard (above 3000 m) are Lahaul, Spiti, Pangi, Kinnaur, Upper Chamba Dokpa nomads from northern Sikkim Herder in Kashmir Tourist eateries near the Gangotri NP, Uttarakhand Sandeep Tambe G.S. Rawat Yash Veer Bhatnagar
18 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD (especially Bharmour), Upper Kangra (Bara Bhangal), Upper Kullu (Mantalai, Pin Parvati, upper Great Himalayan NP, upper Manali), and Upper Simla (Rupi Bhabha, Dodra Kwar). Bakkarwals in the Limber WLS, Kashmir, J&K Jammu & Kashmir The geographical scope of the Project Snow Leopard (areas above 3000 m) would include the whole of Ladakh, Zanskar, and Karakoram. Surveys are needed in other parts to examine their potential, such as, Pir Panjal, including Poonch, Rajouri –Doda district, Banni-Sarthal area, Bhaderwah Bhalessa, ranges up to Himachal Pradesh border, Sonmarg/ Thajwas Wildlife Sanctuary, Amarnath caves area, Margan Pass, proposed extension areas of Dachigam, Pandras, Dras, Chiktan, Shakar Chiktan, Fotu La, and Overa Wildlife Sanctuary. Criteria for determining landscapes Project Snow Leopard, at its initiation, will support the development of survey frameworks that will enable scientific surveys, identification and delineation of biologically important landscapes and landscape units for conservation. The frameworks will be developed jointly by scientific institutions such as the NCF and WII, and the surveys will be undertaken and facilitated by the state wildlife departments both within and outside the existing protected areas, and will include inventorying of wildlife populations, habitat status, connectivity, threats, human-wildlife conflicts, socio-economic dependence, and an assessment of long-term conservation potential. Each state will select one biologically important site and develop a science-based, participatory conservation programme in that site in the first five years of Project Snow Leopard. This will be subsequently expanded to include other biologically important sites. Nomadic herder’s ribo in Hanle Valley, Changthang WLS, Ladakh, J&K Barley fields in Rumtse village, near the Gya-Miru WLS (proposed) Ladakh Yash Veer Bhatnagar Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Broad management principles | 19
Given the unique values and conditions of wildlife occurrence and human use in the vast proposed
project area, a landscape level planning approach that incorporates clear and scientific land use
planning, including zonation is extremely important. The approach has to be one that works on
landscape level plans and localized management. Key elements of this include co-management
of resources using scientific, participatory and adaptive management approaches. While the
development of detailed management plans for biologically important landscapes would be
supported by the project, a broad guiding management framework is outlined below18.
The first step would be to identify and demarcate biologically important landscapes (generally
large spatial scales; > 1000 km2), and setting the management objectives for each landscape unit
(smaller spatial scales; c. 10-100 km2) within the larger landscape, based on its relative importance
for wildlife conservation and human use. Each landscape unit may be demarcated based on a
combination of geological, ecological, and administrative characteristics. Such an exercise needs
18 Mishra, C., Bagchi, S., Namgail, T., and Bhatnagar, Y.V. Wildlife in Trans-Himalayan rangelands: conservation conflicts and challenges. To be published in: DuToit, J., Kok, R., and Deutsch, J.
(Eds.) Can rangelands be wildlands?: wildlife and livestock in semi-arid ecosystems. Conservation Science and Practice Series, Blackwell Publishing.
5
Broad management principles
Bharal in the Kibber WLS
NCF-ISLT, Camera trap picture
20 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD to be undertaken within as well as outside the existing protected areas, and on both government and community-owned lands. To the extent possible, the objective should be to maximize the size and number of ‘core’ landscape units that are maintained as inviolate, interspersed among a series of ‘buffer’ landscape units. The ‘buffer’ landscape units may have a variable set of multiple-use objectives, particularly in areas where local communities have traditional rights or practices. The guiding principles underlying the management objectives for wildlife populations for this mosaic of landscape units can be as follows:
(i) In core landscape units, management objectives should aim to maintain wildlife populations (Nc) at carrying capacity (K) over the long-term, enable conditions where birth rates (bc) exceed rates of mortality (mc) , and rates of emigration (ec) are considerably higher than immigration rates (ic) to enable spill-over effects, i.e., Nc ≈ K, bc > mc, and ec >> ic
(ii) For each buffer landscape unit, the desirable wildlife population size (Nb)will be a function of the trade-off between conservation and human use objectives and the wildlife populations would be maintained such that: Nb = K – f(A), and bb + ib ≥ mb + eb where f(A) is a function by which the wildlife population size is reduced below carrying capacity as a result of an acceptable level of human anthropogenic pressure for each landscape unit. The size and number of core landscape units, wherever feasible, should be large, and adequately interspersed within a matrix of buffer landscape units to enable the conservation of viable wildlife populations (Figure 2). At a minimum, the coupled landscape-level guiding principle for core and buffer units would be to aim for the total spill-over from core units to at least off-set the net individuals lost from buffer units due to mortality and emigration, i.e.: ∑ Nc (ec – ic) ≥ ∑ Nb (bb – mb – eb). It is recognized that the data and information required for effective management can only be generated over time, and it is emphasized that this is a broad ecological framework for guiding conservation management under Project Snow Leopard.
Within this hierarchical landscape level management, it is important to include the local communities in management planning and implementation at appropriate scales. Most local communities, in particular traditional village councils, would be important stakeholders at the Long tailed marmot (Marmota caudata) in the Pangi Valley, HP Ladakh urial (Ovis vignei vignei) in the Rong Valley, Ladakh Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Broad management principles | 21 level of individual landscape units, while larger bodies such as the Panchayat may be involved at the level of a set of adjacent landscape units (see Section 7). The micro-plans for management of each landscape unit would then be integrated into a hierarchical, landscape level management plan.
The importance of constantly generating scientific knowledge on wildlife ecology and human society is particularly underscored in this management framework. It is also critical that an adaptive framework for wildlife management be followed, that actively supports research and monitoring, and constantly incorporates ecological and social feed-backs into management planning at the landscape and landscape unit levels. Mainstreaming biodiversity concerns in development and convergence of works by different stakeholders will also be important for the ultimate success 19 Mishra, C., Allen, P., McCarthy, T., Madhusudan, M. D., Bayarjargal, A., and Prins, H. H. T. 2003. The role of incentive programs in conserving the snow leopard. Conservation Biology 17: 1512-1520 of the programme. In addition to ecological and socio-economic monitoring to assess management performance, the changes in attitudes of people and the extent of threat reduction brought about by the programme will also be important indicators of programme success. At all levels of implementation, there will be emphasis on operational and financial transparency, proper monitoring and course corrections. Civil works and construction works will generally not be supported unless deemed and proven to be essential for success of critical programme initiatives. At all levels of administration and implementation, strong focus will be maintained on capacity enhancement, particularly of the local communities. Emphasis throughout will also be placed on constant generation and advancement of scientific knowledge and its incorporation into management frameworks. It is recognized that conservation issues and needs as well as opportunities are highly variable spatially and temporally, and to the extent possible, flexibility will be ensured to develop as well as constantly adapt locally appropriate conservation initiatives. Financially sustainable conservation measures such as, for instance, community-based livestock insurance programmes for off-setting carnivore-caused damage to livestock19, will be preferred over less sustainable measures such as compensation programmes. Snow leopard Dennis Conner, Courtesy: ISLT
22 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD During the first five years of the Project Snow Leopard, the objective will be to create one model landscape-level conservation programme in each state. Each state will, based on wildlife values and conservation needs and potentials, select one biologically important landscape. In the first one to two years, a detailed landscape level management plan will be developed or an existing one adapted based on the management planning guidelines to be provided under the Project Snow Leopard, and local management bodies will be identified and organized (see Section 7). The management plan will then be implemented, and at the end of five years, based on a detailed work audit, the future course of action will be decided. More landscapes will be brought under the Project Snow Leopard after the first five years. Specific approaches guiding the Project Snow Leopard are outlined below. 5.1. Management approach 5.1.1 Responsible and careful management Use of scientifically rigorous research on wildlife ecology and human society, use of traditional local knowledge, wisdom, and manpower; Site- specific management approaches integrated at the landscape level. Figure 2. A schematic representation of wildlife management0 under Project Snow Leopard. (a) The majority of India’s terrestrial landscapes, where wildlife persists largely in insular protected areas, are further divided into core (no anthroprogenic use; dark areas in the figure) and buffer zones (regulated anthropogenic use; grey in figure), surrounded by rural and urban landscapes (white). (b) in the Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan altitudes there are very few ‘core’ areas, but often-depleted wildlife populations persit across the entire landscape except high peaks, permafrost areas (irregular white) and larger human settlements (white circles). (c) A more effective framework in the higher Himalayan and Trans-Himalayan region would be to follow a landcape-level approach where each landscape unit is either a core unit or a buffer unit with specific multiple-use objectives, within and outside Protected Areas. Te protected Area boundaries themselves will need to exclude biologically unimportant areas particularly from the existing ‘core zones’. In case access to a peak is through ecologiclly sensitive zones, these peaks (white areas) should be kept within the protected area to safegaurd conservation concerns.
Broad management principles | 23 5.1.2 Landscape-level approach to management, especially because significant wildlife populations occur outside Protected Areas. 5.1.3 Involvement of communities in conservation efforts. In addition to the direct involvement of village councils and panchayats, wherever possible, obtaining the support of religious institutions and other local bodies in strengthening conservation. 5.1.4 Development of conservation incentives for local communities 5.1.5 Science-based management of wildlife and their habitats 5.2. Management initiatives 5.2.1 Enhanced management in Project Areas a. Research-based identification of important landscapes and landscape units. b. Proper zonation of the protected areas and the larger landscape based on wildlife value, status of populations and habitats and use by people. c. Appropriate and spatially hierarchical management planning. 5.2.2. Alternate sources of income for local communities a. Support alternative income generation activities for people dependent on local resources to reduce their dependence on these resources and/ or for garnering their support for conservation. Wherever needed provide targeted capacity building or enhancement of the local population. b. Encourage community-based and environmentally responsible tourism. c. Facilitate the development of policies for tourism and mountaineering regulation, including possibilities of charging environmental fees which can be directed for local conservation efforts. Himalayan serow (Naemorhedus sumatraensis) Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) Grey goral (N. goral) (From L to R) A.J.T. Johnsingh, Dr Sangay , A.J.T. Johnsingh
24 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD 5.2.3. Effective protection a. Developing good intelligence networks and involving local participation in protection through Community Protection Forces. b. Strengthen the capacity of local forest/wildlife staff in terms of their numbers, training and equipment. c. Encourage local GREF and military establishments in self regulation regarding illegal hunting. d. Manage labour camps in wildlife areas to curb poaching. 5.2.4. Formulate alpine pasture/rangeland management strategies a. Support focused research and experimental studies to understand pastoral production, optimal stocking densities, pasture improvement, etc. b. Develop and implement strategies to understand and control potential disease transfers between livestock and wildlife. c. Study the ecological impacts of local resource use on wildlife and develop strategies to minimize adverse ecological impacts. d. Implement the findings of above programmes through adaptive management. 5.2.5. Develop comprehensive conflict mitigation strategies for livestock and crop depredation. Support locally appropriate, community-managed conflict mitigation strategies that are based on sound research and are locally appropriate. Snow leopard in the Kibber WLS, HP NCF-ISLT, Camera trap picture
Broad management principles | 25 5.2.6. Capacity development/enhancement of staff in wildlife management. Specialized training in participatory planning and action, wildlife monitoring, mountaineering, tourism management, wildlife laws etc needs to be instituted for all levels of the wildlife/forest departments. 5.2.7. Encourage research on wildlife ecology and human society. Support scientifically well- designed research projects by reputed governmental and non-governmental research institutions. 5.2.8. Convergence of biodiversity concerns and development. Institute mechanisms for coordination between relevant Government departments and NGOs to encourage environmentally- responsible development that safeguards the interests of conservation. 5.2.9. Staff welfare and financial strategies a. Economic and other service benefits to staff working in the Project Snow Leopard areas b. Funding based on a long term management plan in partnership with conservation research agencies and NGOs c. Preference for young and committed staff to be posted in the high altitude areas.
Wherever applicable, have fixed tenures for staff and a ‘lighter’ posting after tenure at high altitudes. Hanle Monastry in the Changthang WLS, Ladakh Yash Veer Bhatnagar
26 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD 5.3. Strategy for reaching out 5.3.1. Education and awareness programs regarding wildlife conservation targeted at local communities as well as policy makers – includes local community, rural schools, Gram Sabhas, EDCs, defence forces, travel agents, etc. a. Sensitization of defence forces posted in the region through effective and continuing conservation education programmes (preferably during the acclimatization period). Use their existing programmes such as ‘Sadbhavna’ to aid in conservation and offsetting their adverse impacts on wildlife and natural resources. b. Better awareness through gram sabha, EDCs, etc. to counter traditional hunting practices prevalent in some regions. c. Promoting conservation education through zoos, wherever appropriate. 5.4. Research
Reliable information on ecology and human society is a cornerstone of effective wildlife management. Numerous aspects such as wildlife occurrence, biodiversity status, grazing management, pasture development, disease transfers, conflicts, have been identified in earlier sections where such information is urgently needed to guide management. The strategies thus outlined for information generation are as follows: 5.4.1. Scientific information from the project area is limited, although there have been recent advances in knowledge about various aspects of ecology and society through the efforts of governmental, non-governmental organizations and some universities. As pointed out in the Objectives and Activities above, the Project Snow Leopard will facilitate constant advancement of scientific knowledge on wildlife ecology and human society. 5.4.2. Project Snow Leopard will actively support research on distribution, status and population dynamics of wildlife, threats, grazing management, pasture development, disease transfers, human- wildlife conflicts, applied research for species recovery programmes, use of advanced techniques to monitor snow leopards and other wildlife that include the use of genetics and camera trapping. Climate change can have far-reaching effects on ecosystems as well as on the human society globally, but the snow leopard range may be particularly vulnerable to its effects. The PSL should thus encourage quality research on this aspect so that suitable measures can be taken to mitigate the ill effects. Organizations such as the Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, the Nature Conservation Foundation, Mysore and the GB Pant Institute of Himalayan Environment &
Broad management principles | 27 Development, Almora, have considerable expertise on issues of the higher altitude ecosystems. Organizations such as WII, Dehradun, and the National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS), Bangalore also have existing genetics laboratories. Researchers studying the endangered Kashmir markhor (Capra falconeri falconeri) in western Kashmir, J&K Yash Veer Bhatnagar
28 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Project Snow Leopard is designed for all biologically important habitats within the snow leopard’s range, irrespective of their ownership. The project will place due emphasis on biologically important landscapes that fall outside the protected area network.
Indicative Activities under Project | 29
Based on the objectives, the following activities for the project have been identi ed, along with their budgetary allocation. e same information is available in the Flowchart in Figure 3. Objective Key Activities Proportion of budget (%) 1. Facilitate a landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation 1.1 Develop scientific frameworks for comprehensive surveys to identify biologically important landscapes and landscape units, associated socio-economy and human-wildlife relationships. 10 1.2 Based on scientific surveys, identify important landscapes (including but not restricted to protected areas) Figure 3: Outline of the project objectives and activities, along with the suggested budgetary allocation. e interrelationship between activities is also indicated. 6 Indicative Activities under Project Bharal in the Gangotri NP, Uttarakhand G.S.Rawat
Indicative Activities under Project | 31
Objective
Key Activities
Proportion of
budget (%)
3.3 Encourage mechanisms that will support the
mainstreaming of biodiversity and wildlife concerns in
developmental projects
3.4 Support incentive programmes such as community
managed wildlife tourism, value addition to
local handicrafts, etc. that promote local peoples’
involvement and support for conservation through
appropriate economic and other incentives, as well as
community support programmes in healthcare and
education.
3.5 Support necessary research and development of
grazing policies that aim to harmonize the objectives of
pastoral production with those of wildlife conservation
4. Encourage
focused conservation
and recovery
programmes for
endangered species
such as the snow
leopard
4.1 Support fundamental and applied research on wild
species and ecosystems, human ecology, local human
institutions, resource use and socio-economy, and
human-wildlife conflicts
8
4.2 Use this knowledge for formulating and
implementing participatory conservation programs
5. Promote stronger
measures for wildlife
protection and law
enforcement
5.1 Increase the capacity of wildlife management staff
in protection through provisioning of adequate staff
strength, training and equipment
15
5.2 Support the involvement of local community
representatives in protection through Community
Wildlife Protection Forces and payment of wages for
services rendered.
5.3 Initiate joint activities with the army and Border
Roads Organization to curtail hunting
5.4 Establish protection camps in vulnerable areas
5.5 Develop and support local intelligence networks
6. Promote better
understanding
and management
of human-wildlife
conflict
6.1 Support ecological and social research and
documentation of traditional knowledge to promote
the understanding of human-wildlife conflicts
11
32 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD
Objective
Key Activities
Proportion of
budget (%)
6.2 Provide a framework and resources for flexible
and locally appropriate community-based conflict
resolution programmes that allow for constant
monitoring of conflict resolution programmes and
periodic course-corrections
7. Restore degraded
landscapes
7.1 Support ecological research on vegetation and
wildlife restoration potential of degraded sites and
laying out site-specific restoration objectives
7
7.2 Support scientifically well-informed restoration and
species-recovery programmes
8. Promote a
knowledge-based
approach to
conservation and an
adaptive framework
for wildlife
management
8.1 Provide a framework that recognizes the importance
of scientific knowledge in guiding conservation at
all steps, including setting out objectives, deciding
on the most appropriate management strategies, and
monitoring of conservation actions
8
8.2 Support and facilitate fundamental and applied
scientific research by governmental and non-
governmental research institutions on wildlife and
ecosystem ecology, taxonomy, landscape ecology,
human ecology, and human-wildlife conflicts
8.3 Develop frameworks for wildlife management that
periodically incorporates ecological and social feedback
into management planning
9. Reduce existing
anthropogenic
pressures on natural
resources
9.1 Support participatory programmes that aim at
reducing human pressures on natural resources by
provisioning of alternate income sources and value-
addition to goods and services
10
10. Promote
conservation
education and
awareness
10.1 Support education and awareness programs
regarding wildlife conservation targeted at local
communities, children, as well as other human
institutions including Gram Sabhas, EDCs, defence
forces, travel agents, etc.
7
10.2 Promote programmes to sensitize defence forces
posted in the high altitudes through effective and
continued conservation education programmes
Administration | 33 National-level: At the MoEF, a national steering committee with representation of MoEF officials, Governmental and Non-governmental research institutions, and the Forest Departments of Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sikkim and Arunachal Pradesh, will co-ordinate the Project Snow Leopard. For the initial period of five years, the existing drafting committee will function as the national steering committee and the executive body of the Project Snow Leopard. This body may also identify and invite a qualified scientist specializing in human ecology/ sociology/ tribal affairs to be a part of the steering committee. The steering committee will be responsible for general direction setting, overseeing, funds generation and disbursement, and facilitating periodic monitoring and evaluation of the Project Snow Leopard. The steering committee will also ensure transparency and periodic information dissemination pertaining to the programme at a national level. The steering committee will also administer a small grants programme aimed at enabling the direct participation of community based organizations, NGOs, and research and conservation institutions in effecting research and conservation initiatives and 7 A d m i n i s t r a t i o n Himalaya tahr (Hemitragus jemlahicus) Som Ale
34 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD capacity enhancement particularly at the local community-level. The Nature Conservation Foundation and the Wildlife Institute of India will respectively be the primary non-governmental and governmental institutions providing constant technical support and advice to the national steering committee and the states. At the initiation of the Programme, they will jointly work to develop guidelines and frameworks for landscape-level, knowledge-based and participatory management planning as outlined in section 5 & 6 above. State-level: At the state-level, the Chief Wildlife Warden will set up a State Snow Leopard Conservation Society for this purpose, including senior forest officers managing snow leopard landscapes, other relevant governmental departments such as tourism and animal husbandry, the army and paramilitary forces, representatives of NGOs active at the state-level, and community- based organizations. The Society may also seek the advice, support, participation and assistance of reputed individuals and institutions that it believes can provide scientific and technical expertise. The Society, chaired by the Chief Wildlife Warden, and represented by diverse stakeholders such as other government departments and community based organizations, scientists and conservationists, will provide greater focus and thrust to the programme, as well as enable the states to raise additional funds for wildlife conservation in the snow leopard landscapes. This Society will be the primary body responsible for implementation of the Project Snow Leopard at the state-level. It will send consolidated proposals and annual budgets and obtain funds from the national steering committee and provide it to the landscape-level management committees (see below). The Society will also be responsible for ensuring transparency and information sharing regarding the programme at the state-level, as well as get periodic financial and work audits by appropriate and reputed research Bara shigri glacier, Lahul, HP Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Administration | 35 bodies or committees. Once in five years, the Society will facilitate a work audit by the national steering committee or any other body designated by the latter for this purpose. Each State Snow Leopard Conservation Society will designate landscape-level implementation committees with representation of serving officers (CF/DCF level) from the various wings of the Forest Departments, other appropriate governmental departments including the relevant senior officials of District Administration, locally active NGOs, a single representative of tourism operators, community-based organizations and the member secretary of each of the local village- level committees nominated by the Village councils/ Gram Sabhas (that are important stakeholders at the landscape-unit level; see below). The committee will be headed by a senior officer of the Forest Department (CF/DCF). It is recognized that the role of local NGOs, and community- based organizations including religious bodies is extremely important for effecting Programme activities, and these must be given adequate representation in the landscape-level committees. These committees will assist in the development of integrated landscape-level management plans based on the landscape-level management planning guidelines mentioned above. The committees will be responsible for implementation of landscape-level conservation activities, mobilizing and capacity enhancement of village/ landscape unit-level bodies (see later) and in formally organizing them in case they are traditional and informal village management bodies, selection and training of community-protection forces, and for overseeing, facilitating and monitoring the conservation activities and management programmes at the community/ village/ landscape unit-level. Where the landscape is large and jurisdictionally divided between different wings of the Forest Department, more than one implementation committee may be designated. These committees will also serve as the link between village/landscape unit-level bodies and the State Snow Leopard Conservation Society. The committees will collate and submit annual work and financial reports to the Society, as well as provide annual work proposals and budget estimates. It is recognized that over most of the snow leopard landscape within India, the local communities have Rheum nobile in northern Sikkim Rhododendron setosum in alpine tracts of Sikkim (From L to R) : Pranav Chandani, G.S.Rawat
36 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD a near pervasive presence and are amongst the most important conservation stakeholders. It is also recognized that considerable village and land use administration and decision- making in this landscape is the responsibility of traditional and democratic, albeit informal, village councils. In all areas where local human communities have a presence, traditional rights or resource use access, these hitherto informal village councils or the gram sabha becomes one of the primary institutions, alongside the Forest Department, for planning and implementation of the Project Snow Leopard at the landscape unit level. Lizard in western Kashmir The village councils/gram sabhas, together with the Forest Department, will constitute village-level management and implementation bodies, to be called Village Wildlife Conservation Committees, for implementation of the Project Snow Leopard activities. Facilitating the capacity development of these village-level committees, including assistance in formally organizing them, training in accounting and book-keeping etc. will be the responsibility of the landscape-level committees. One front-line Forest Department staff will be represented in these village committees. The village council/ Gram Sabha may choose to either take on the responsibilities of the committee itself, or designate any existing village-based institution (such as youth clubs) for this purpose. One member from each family in the village will have the option of becoming a member of such a body, which will also ensure the equitable representation of existing classes and gender. Where the village size is very small (< 10 families), the village council/Gram Sabha may, together with the Forest Department, decide to have a combined Village Wildlife Conservation Committee with one or more neighbouring villages. On the other hand, if the quality and area of wildlife habitat within the resource use catchment of the village is relatively high, independent village committees may be desirable even in small- sized villages. The Village Council/ Gram Sabha will designate either a Panchayat member or any other collectively chosen suitable person from the village as a member secretary of this body.
All landscape unit-level wildlife conservation and community-based management initiatives will be undertaken and implemented by the Village Wildlife Conservation Committees and their capacity enhancement will be one of the primary responsibilities of the larger landscape-level committee. The committees will participate integrally in developing landscape unit-level management micro- plans. The work of the Village Wildlife Conservation Committee will include but need not be restricted to community-based management of human-wildlife conflicts, incentive and alternate income generation programmes, setting up of small ‘core’ areas on traditionally used rangelands with community participation (see section 5), participation in monitoring programmes for Yash Veer Bhatnagar
Administration | 37 State State Snow Leopard Conservation Society Chaired by the Chief Wildlife Warden, including senior forest officers managing snow leopard landscapes, other relevant governmental departments such as tourism and animal husbandry, the army and paramilitary forces, representatives of NGOs active at the state-level, and community-based organizations. The Society may also seek the advice, support, participation and assistance of reputed individuals and institutions that it believes can provide scientific and technical expertise Landscape Landscape-Level Implementation Committees Field officers (CF/DCF level) from the appropriate wings of the Forest Departments, other appropriate governmental departments including the relevant senior officials of District Administration, locally active NGOs, a single representative of tourism operators, community-based organizations and the member secretary of each of the local village-level committees nominated by the Village councils/ Gram Sabhas. Local leaders may be special invitees for the meetings as seen appropriate Village /Village Cluster Village Wildlife Conservation Committee Traditional village councils/gram sabhas, frontline Forest Department staff representative PSL Body Constituents National Project Snow Leopard National Steering Committee MoEF officials, Governmental and Non-governmental research institutions, and the Forest/Wildlife Departments of five Himalayan states. Qualified scientist specializing in human ecology/ sociology/ tribal affairs to be a part of the steering committee. (For the first 5 years this the PSL drafting committee will serve as the steering committee) wildlife habitats, populations and human socio-economy, and nomination of suitable members for community protection forces. It is recognized that a different approach will be needed in the case of nomadic pastoralism, as well as in the few areas where high altitude landscapes are habitation free but people in the lower altitude villages use the higher altitude landscape for certain kinds of natural resource extraction.
38 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Project Snow Leopard will be treated at par with other flagship species programmes of the country
40 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD Objectives % Funding
- Facilitate a landscape-level approach to wildlife conservation 10
- Rationalize the existing protected area network and
improving protected area management 9 - Develop a framework for wildlife conservation outside protected areas and promoting ecologically responsible development 15
- Encourage focused conservation and recovery programs for endangered species such as the snow leopard 8
- Promote stronger measures for wildlife protection and law enforcement 15
- Promote better understanding and management of human- wildlife conflict 11
- Restore degraded landscapes 7
- Promote a knowledge-based approach to conservation and an adaptive framework for wildlife management 8
- Reduce existing anthropogenic pressures on natural resources 10
- Promote conservation education and awareness 7 Total allocation 3 % of total financial outlay Summary of Cost Estimates:
Conclusion | 41 Project Snow Leopard, a national programme for conservation of high altitude Himalayan wildlife, will address a very important and urgent need to promote conservation efforts this biologically, socially, and nationally significant landscape. Project Snow Leopard, by focusing on one biologically important landscape in the first five years in each state, aims to demonstrate on-ground conservation in a time-bound manner, and, at the same time, to draw lessons from successes and limitations of the initial effort to enable better informed programmes in the other sites to be undertaken in the next phase. With its inclusive and participatory approach to conservation that fully involves local communities, conservationists, conservation scientists, and the civil society, its approach of local involvement on the one hand and strong protection on the other, and its strong emphasis on rigorous science and monitoring, Project Snow Leopard aims to set up model conservation programmes which would achieve wildlife conservation alongside broad-based public support for conservation. 9 C o n c l u s i o n Helen Freeman, Courtesy: ISLT
42 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD With its inclusive and participatory approach to conservation, Project Snow Leopard aims to set up model conservation programmes which would achieve wildlife conservation alongside broad-based public support for conservation.
44 | PROJECT SNOW LEOPARD
Annexure-1: Details of the Project Snow Leopard, Drafting Committee instituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, (vide Notification No. F.No., 15-5/2006 WL I, Dated 31 July 2006) Sr. No Name & Designation Membership 1 Additional Director General (Wildlife) Chairman 2 Director, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun Member 3 Chief Wildlife Warden, Jammu & Kashmir Member 4 Chief Wildlife Warden, Himachal Pradesh Member 5 Chief Wildlife Warden, Uttarakhand Member 6 Chief Wildlife Warden, Sikkim Member 7 Chief Wildlife Warden, Arunachal Pradesh Member 8 Inspector General of Forests (WL) Member 9 Dr. V.B. Mathur, Dean, Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun Member 10 Dr. Charudutt Mishra, Executive Director, Nature Conservation Foundation Member 11 Dr. Yash Veer Bhatnagar, Senior Scientist, Nature Conservation Foundation Member 12 Dr. C.M. Seth, Director, SFRI, Jammu & Kashmir Member 13 Inspector General of Forests and Director, Project Elephant Member Secretary 11 A N N E X U R E S
Annexure 2:
Recommendations of the National Workshop on ‘Project Snow Leopard (PSL)’
held on 11-12 July, 2006 at Leh-Ladakh
The high altitudes of India (> 3000 m, c. 250,000 km2, including the Himalaya and
i.
Trans-Himalaya biogeographic zones) support a unique wildlife assemblage of
global importance, which needs to be conserved through a focused strategy and
action plan under the Project Snow Leopard (PSL). PSL will promote wildlife conservation through a participatory process by fully involving ii.
the local communities in conservation efforts, and seeking their active participation in
conservation through appropriate incentives. As a significant proportion of Himalayan high altitude wildlife occurs outside Protected iii.
Areas, PSL will follow a landscape level approach that gives due importance to conserva
tion both within and outside Protected Areas. PSL will strengthen and enhance the capacity of state forest and wildlife departments in iv.
effectively managing high altitude wildlife through provisioning of manpower, resources,
incentives, and capacity building. PSL will be formulated in line with the National Wildlife Action Plan (2001-2016), and v.
will incorporate the salient features articulated in the state-level PSL workshops and the
Snow Leopard Survival Strategy, and in addition, draw lessons from the experiences of
other flagship species programmes such as the Project Tiger and Project Elephant. PSL will support research on wildlife and human dimensions throughout the high alti vi.
tude areas of the snow leopard range states of India. PSL will encourage an adaptive management framework which will provide for constant vii.
monitoring of wildlife populations and human socio-economy, and for periodic course-
corrections in management actions. As the high altitudes also represent a vast rangeland system, PSL will assist the states in viii.
the development of grazing policies and management practices that will aim to
harmonize the objectives of pastoral interests with those of wildlife conservation. PSL will promote research-based species recovery programmes. ix. PSL will promote community-based management programmes for resolving human-
x.
wildlife conflicts. PSL will promote conservation education and awareness initiatives. xi. Given that most of India’s high altitude wildlife habitats are along international boundar xii.
ies, PSL recognizes the importance of co-opting the armed and para-military forces in
conservation efforts, and exploring possibilities for trans-boundary conservation efforts. The MoEF will constitute a committee comprising of the participating states and other xiii.
key stakeholders for the drafting of the PSL strategy and action plan.
Annexure 3: Known protected areas in the Indian high altitudes (including the Trans-Himalaya and Greater Himalaya) with potential for snow leopard occurrence (Rodgers et al. 2000, WII Database and inputs from the respective Forest/Wildlife Departments).
Sr.No.
State
Name of NP & WLS
Year of Estb.
District
Biog.
Zone
Biog.
Province
High
Altitude
Snow
Leopard
Area
Suggested
Sl Reserve
Area (sq
km.)
Location
(Latitude)
Location
(Longitude)
Altitudinal
Range
Climate,
Topography
& Broad
Vegetation
Status of
Management
Plan
PA
Management
status & Present
land use
27
HP
Govind Sagar WLS
1962
Bilaspur
4
04A
No
?
100
31.14.03
to
31.26.30
76.26.06 to
76.51.55
350-500
SMV
NA
NA
28
HP
Great Himalayan NP
1984
Kullu
2
02A
Part
Yes
755
31.38
77.38
1500-5805
HMT, SAF,
SPF
NA
NA
29
HP
Kalatop-Khajjiar WLS
1958
Chamba
2
02A
Part
?
69
32.02 to
32.04
76.01 to
76.06
1185-2768
SAF
NA
NA
30
HP
Kanawar WLS
1954
Kullu
2
02A
Part
61
31.55.10
to
32.01.13
77.17.00 to
77.23.50
1800-4833
HMT,
AMS
NA
NA
31
HP
Khokhan WLS
1954
Kullu
2
02A
?
14
31.50.10
to
31.53.24
77.03.21 to
77.06.55
1500-2787
HMT,
HDT, SAF,
AAP
NA
NA
32
HP
Kias WLS
1954
Kullu
2
02A
?
14
31.59.31
to
32.03.19
77.09.17 to
77.12.44
2800-3680
HMT
NA
NA
33
HP
Kibber WLS
1992
Lahul & Spiti
1
01B
Entire
Yes
1400
32.32.42
77.36.17
4000-5600
?
NA
NA
34
HP
Kugti WLS
1962
Chamba
2
02A
Part
Yes
379
32.25 to
32.35
76.44 to
76.53
2250-6044
HMT
NA
NA
35
HP
Lippa Asrang WLS
1962
Kinnaur
2
02A
entire
Yes
349
31.44.15
to
31.44.18
78.08 to
78.17.38
4000-5022
HDT,
ADS, AAP
NA
NA
36
HP
Majathal WLS
1954
Solan
2
02B
No
57.55
31.15.03
to
31.18.43
76.56.20 to
77.02.24
900-1966
HDT
NA
NA
37
HP
Manali WLS
1954
Kullu
2
02A
Part
Yes
32
32.13 to
32.15
77.05 to
77.10
2273-5300
HMT,
AMS
NA
NA
38
HP
Naina Devi WLS
1962
Bilaspur
4
04A
No
123
31.16.40
to
31.24.36
76.25.54 to
76.35.38
500-1019
TSE
NA
NA
39
HP
Nargu WLS
1962
Mandi
2
02A
No
278
31.46.36
to
32.05.00
76.50.00 to
77.04.38
970-4034
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
40
HP
Pin Valley NP
1987
Lahul & Spiti
1
01A
Yes
Yes
675
31.44.55
to
32.11.00
77.45.00 to
78.06.09
3300-6632
AAP, ADS,
AMS
NA
NA
41
HP
Pong Dam Lake WLS
1982
Kangra
4
04A
No
307
31.80 to
32.07.26
75.58 to
76.25
335-436
SPF, SMV
NA
NA
42
HP
Renuka WLS
1964
Sirmaur
4
04A
No
4
30.35.58
to
30.37.08
77.26.34 to
77.28.21
200-887
HMT, FSV
NA
NA
43
HP
Rupi Bhaba WLS
1982
Kinnaur
2
02A
Part
Yes
738
31.30.00
to
31.47.06
77.45.06 to
78.09.00
909-5650
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
44
HP
Sainj WLS
1994
Kullu
2
02A
Part
90
NA
NA
NA
HMT
NA
NA
45
HP
Sangla (Raksham Chitkul) WLS
1989
Kinnaur
2
02B
Part
?
304
31.30
78.23
3200-5486
HDT,
ADS, AAP
NA
NA
46
HP
Sechu Tuan Nala WLS
1962
Chamba
2
02A
Part
Yes
103
30.15
to 32
76.20 to 77
NA
HMT
NA
NA
47
HP
Shikari Devi WLS
1962
Mandi
2
02A
No
72
31.27.03
to
31.32.16
77.05.36 to
77.13.41
1800-3395
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
48
HP
Shilli WLS
1963
Solan
2
02B
No
2
30.54.15
to
30.54.41
77.07.45 to
77.09.13
1230-1845
HMT
NA
NA
49
HP
Shimla Water Catchment WLS
1958
Shimla
2
02B
No
10
31.05.12
to
31.07.11
77.12.54 to
77.16.04
1900-2620
HMT,
DHT
NA
NA
50
HP
Simbalbara WLS
1958
Sirmaur
4
04A
No
19
30.24.21
to
30.28.13
77.27.18 to
77.31.26
400-660
HMT
NA
NA
51
HP
Talra WLS
1962
Shimla
2
02B
No
40
30.57.46
to
31.03.19
77.43.30 to
77.48.21
1500-3324
HDT
NA
NA
52
HP
Tirthan WLS
1992
Kullu
2
02A
Part
Yes
61
31.34.13
to
31.39.45
77.27.30 to
77.37.23
NA
HMT
NA
NA
Sr.No.
State
Name of NP & WLS
Year of Estb.
District
Biog.
Zone
Biog.
Province
High
Altitude
Snow
Leopard
Area
Suggested
Sl Reserve
Area (sq
km.)
Location
(Latitude)
Location
(Longitude)
Altitudinal
Range
Climate,
Topography
& Broad
Vegetation
Status of
Management
Plan
PA
Management
status & Present
land use
53
HP
Tundah WLS
1962
Chamba
2
02A
Part
64
32.27 to
32.40
76.27 to
76.37
2074-5532
HMT
NA
NA
54
Uttarakhand
Asan Barrage CR
2005
Dehradun
2
02B
No
4.444
30.25.60
77.42.00
400
?
NA
NA
55
Uttarakhand
Askot Musk Deer WLS
1986
Pithoragarh
2
02B
Part
Yes
599.93
29.30 to
29.45
80.20 to
80.25
2400-5000
SAF, HMT,
AMP
NA
NA
56
Uttarakhand
Binsar WLS
1988
Almora
2
02B
No
45.59
29.4
79.45
2000-3000
HMT, SPF
NA
NA
57
Uttarakhand
Corbett NP
1936
Nainital, Pauri
Garhwal
7
07A
No
520.8
29.30 to
29.39
78.93 to
79.09
400-1210
SPF, TDD,
TMD
NA
NA
58
Uttarakhand
Gangotri NP
1989
Uttarkashi
2
02B
Entire
Yes
2200
30.50 to
31.12
78.45 to
79.02
NA
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
59
Uttarakhand
Govind NP
1990
Uttarkashi
2
02B
Part
Yes
472.08
31.01 to
31.17
78.00 to
78.38
1290 to
6387
HMT, SPF,
SAF
NA
NA
60
Uttarakhand
Govind Pashu Vihar WLS
1955
Uttarkashi
2
02B
Part
Yes
481
31.02 to
31.20
77.55 to
78.40
1290 to
6387
HMT, SPF,
SAF
NA
NA
61
Uttarakhand
Jhilmi Jheel CR
2005
Haridwar
2
02B
No
37.835
NA
NA
NA
?
NA
NA
62
Uttarakhand
Kedarnath WLS
1972
Chamoli,Rudraprayag
2
02B
Part
Yes
975.24
30.50 to
30.55
78.55 to
79.40
1160-7068
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
63
Uttarakhand
Mussoorie WLS
1993
Dehradun
2
02B
No
10.82
30.3
78.05
2005.5
SPF
NA
NA
64
Uttarakhand
Nanda Devi NP
1982
Chamoli
2
02B
Yes
Yes
624.62
31.16.40
to
31.35.38
76.25.54 to
76.35.38
3500 to
7816
HMT, SAF
NA
NA
65
Uttarakhand
Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve
1988
Chamoli, Bageshwar,
Pithoragarh
2
02B
Part
Yes
5148.00
30.01 to
31.03
79.17 to
80.20
2200 to
7700
HMT, SAF,
ADS, AAP
NA
NA
66
Uttarakhand
Rajaji NP
1983
Dehradun, Pauri,
Haridwar
7
07A
No
820
29.52 to
30.31
77.52 to
78.22
302-1000
TDD,
TMD
NA
NA
67
Uttarakhand
Sonanadi WLS
1987
Pauri Garhwal
7
07A
No
301.18
29.40
78.45
385-1100
TMD,
TDD
NA
NA
68
Uttarakhand
Valley of Flowers NP
1982
Chamoli
2
02B
Part
Yes
87.5
30.35 to
30.45
79.30 to
79.45
3350 to
6719
SAF, AMS
NA
NA
69
Sikkim
Khangchendzonga NP
1977
North Sikkim
1
01B
Part
Yes
1784
27.25.39
to
27.55.12
88.07.20 to
88.40.22
1829-8585
Sub-tropical
to alpine
under
preparation
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
70
Sikkim
Barsey Rhododendron WLS
1998
West Sikkim
2
02C
Small Part
of Singalila
Range
104
27.10 to
27.13
88.02 to
88.11
1600-3600
Temperate-
alpine
under
preparation
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
71
Sikkim
Fambong Lho WLS
1984
East Sikkim
2
02C
No
51.760
27.05 to
28.10
88.04 to
88.58
1375-2650
sub-tropical
under
preparation
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
72
Sikkim
Kyongnosla Alpine WLS
1977
East Sikkim
2
02C
Small Part
(adjjoining
W flank of
Chumbi)
Yes
31
27.22. to
27.24
88.44 to
88.45
3292-4116
temperate-
alpine
under
preparation
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
73
Sikkim
Kitam WLS
2005
South Sikkim
2
02C
No
6
27.06 to
27.07
88.20 to
88.22
sub-tropical
under
preparation
Forest land
74
Sikkim
Maenam WLS
1987
South Sikkim
2
02C
Small
Part (adj
KNP)
Yes
35.34
27.21 to
27.35
88.21 to
88.25
1600-3250
sub-
tropical-
temperate
Available
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
75
Sikkim
Pangolakha WLS
2002
2
02C
Small Part
(of Chola
Range)
Yes
128
27.09 to
27.22
88.35 to
88.55
NA
Sub-tropical
to alpine
under
preparation
Regularization
of land under
FCA under
process; Forest
land
76
Sikkim
Shingba (Rhododendron) WLS
1984
North Sikkim
1
01B
Part (of
Lava
Range)
Yes
43
27.43 to
27.48
88.43 to
88.46
3048-4575
temperate-
alpine
under
preparation
PA boundary
under
rationalization;
Forest land
77
Arunachal
D'Ering Memorial (Lali) WLS
1978
Upper Siang
2
02D
No
190
27.53 to
28.10
95.23 to
95.30
100-250
TSE
NA
NA
78
Arunachal
Dibang WLS
1991
Dibang Valley
2
02D
Small Part
4149
28.27.08
to
29.31.31
94.29.34 to
95.49.55
1500-5000
HMT, SPF
NA
NA
79
Arunachal
Eaglenest WLS
1989
West Kameng
2
02D
No
217
27.09
92.21
1100-2900
TSE, SPF
NA
NA
Sr.No. State Name of NP & WLS Year of Estb. District Biog. Zone Biog. Province High Altitude Snow Leopard Area Suggested Sl Reserve Area (sq km.) Location (Latitude) Location (Longitude) Altitudinal Range Climate, Topography & Broad Vegetation Status of Management Plan PA Management status & Present land use 80 Arunachal Itanagar WLS 1978 Papum Pare 2 02D No 140.300 27.06 93.29 210-1164 MWT, TSE NA NA 81 Arunachal Kamlang WLS 1989 Lohit 2 02D Small Part 783 27.44 96.39 200-4578 TWE, SPF NA NA 82 Arunachal Kane WLS 1991 West Siang 2 02D No 55 27.4 94039 120-1500 TSE, SAF NA NA 83 Arunachal Mehao WLS 1980 Dibang Valley 2 02D No 281.5 28.05 to 29.15 95.40 to 96.03 330-3560 MWT, TSE NA NA 84 Arunachal Mouling NP 1986 Upper Siang 2 02D Small Part 483 28.33 94.46 700-3064 HMT NA NA 85 Arunachal Namdapha NP 1983 Changlang 2 02D Small Part 1807.82 27.23 to 27.39 96.15 to 96.58 200-4578 MWT, SAF NA NA 86 Arunachal Pakke WLS 1977 East Kameng 2 02D No 861.95 26.5 92.5 150-1900 TWE NA NA 87 Arunachal Sessa Orchid WLS 1989 West Kameng 2 02D No 100 27.11 92.32 800-3100 SBH NA NA 88 Arunachal Tale Valley WLS 1995 Lower Subansiri 2 02D No 337 27.35 to 27.40 94.15 to 94.20 1500-2700 HMT, SAF NA NA 89 Arunachal Yordi-Rabe Supse WLS 1996 West Siang 2 02D Small Part 491.62 29.00.59 95.12.31 1500-2500 NA NA J&K Zanskar HP Lahul UA Upper Kumaon Areas north of Nanda Devi Sikkim The Tibetan Plateau areas on N & W of state Arunachal Tawang Entire strip above 4,000m Veg. Types AAP Alpine Arid Pasture; ADP Alpine Dry Pasture; ADS Alpine Dry Scrub; AMP Alpine Moist Pasture; AMS Alpine Moist Scrub; FVG Flooded Valley Grassland; HDS Himalayan Dry Scrub; HDT Himalayan Dry Temperate; HMT Himalayan Moist Temperate; HSS Himalayan Secondary Scrub; HWT Himalayan Wet Temperate; MFV Freshwater Swamp; MNF Littoral Forest; MSM Seasonal Marsh; RIV Riverine Vegetation; SAF Sub‑Alpine Forest; SBH Sub‑Tropical Broad Leaved Hill; SDE Sub‑Tropical Dry Evergreen; Entire Almost entire area is high altitude (&SL range) Part Has some high altitudes, and some below treeline or < c.3,000m Small Part Very small portions in high altitude areas No No areas in high altitudes ? Not clear Other Important Landscapes where conservation areas need to be identified:
- High altitude (snow leopard areas) Veg. Types SDS Sub‑Alpine Dry Scrub; SMH Montane Wet Temperate Forest; SPF Sub‑Tropical Pine Forest; SSS Sub‑Tropical Secondary Scrub; TAZ Tropical Arid Zone; TDD Tropical Dry Deciduous; TDE Tropical Dry Evergreen; TGL Tropical Grasslands; TMD Tropical Moist Deciduous; TMS Tropical Moist Scrub; TSE Tropical Semi‑Evergreen; TSS Tropical Secondary Scrub; TTF Tropical Thorn Forest; TWE Tropical Wet Evergreen.
12 A C T I V I T Y F L O W C H A R T
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