Building Partnerships for Conservation and Development in the HKH

The Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative (HKPLCDI) brings Afghanistan, China, Pakistan and Tajikistan together in a collaborative effort to promote biodiversity conservation and sustainable development in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir. Several important bio-geographical areas converge in the region, contributing to its floral and faunal diversity. The Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir Landscape (HKPL) has been listed as an important eco-region and biodiversity hotspot by several international organizations. It forms a key link in the ancient Silk Road and is an important corridor through which many prominent ethnic groups migrated across Eurasia, resulting in a brilliant and extremely diverse cultural mix that enriches the landscape’s regional history.

The One Belt and One Road Initiative proposed by the Chinese Government aims for greater economic cooperation and integration among HKPL member countries along the Silk Road which historically connected China and India in the east, and Europe and Africa in the west. The geographical location of the HKPL means it forms an important passage route for both the ancient Silk Route and the newly proposed One Belt and One Road Initiative. Governments of all the related HKPL countries have extended their support for the Initiative. There are opportunities for expanding partnerships and leveraging funds from national governments for regional collaboration in the Hindu Kush Karakoram Pamir.

HKPLCDI, together with Lanzhou University in China, plans to organize a workshop to bring HKPL regional partners and Chinese institutions with an interest in the HKPL to explore opportunities for potential collaboration. Development practitioners and organizations, researchers and government officials from the HKH will be participating. Technology sharing will be focused on and exposure visits organized to serve as opportunities for looking into technology and management options for rangeland, livestock and dryland agriculture, and for building partnerships for future collaboration.

Objectives

1. Expand the HKPL partnership network.
2. Profile HKPL to Chinese stakeholders for potential partnership and funding opportunities.
3. Promote technology and knowledge sharing and transfer among partners across the HKPL.

Workshop proceeding

Building Partnerships for Conservation and Development in HKH: Exploring Complementary Opportunities for Improving HKPL Transboundary Cooperation from One Belt, One Road Initiative, 1–12 December 2016, Lanzhou, China; ICIMOD Proceedings 2017/4