Background

Biodiversity is an important resource in the Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL) providing numerous ecosystem services, ranging from the provision of food, fuel and shelter, to cultural services including religious pilgrimage and tourism.

The landscape is habitat to numerous species of plants, including many important medicinal plants and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) which are a major source of income for many people residing in the landscape. The high economic dependency of communities on natural resources, particularly NTFPs and medicinal species results in their exploitation through unsustainable harvesting.

Similarly, poaching and illegal trade of plants and wildlife pose severe threats to biodiversity conservation in both KSL India and Nepal. Wildlife products fetch very high prices in the international market, hence high market value fuelled by poverty, high demand, as well as weak law enforcement contribute further to illegal poaching and trade.

To address these issues, the KSLCDI in 2018 conducted a ‘Cross-Border Sharing of Experiences on Biodiversity Management in the Kailash Sacred Landscape – Nepal and India’ in Khalanga, Darchula District, Nepal. The discussions, predominantly on issues related to yartsa gunbu, resulted in a community-level agreement on sustainable management of yartsa gunbu.

The cross-border event also agreed for the continuity of this exchange forum between communities of the two countries. Hence, this year the programme will be held at Pithoragarh, Uttarakhand, India.

The workshop objectives are to:

1. Revisit the 2018 Community Agreement and reaffirm actions for sustainable biodiversity management including addressing illegal trade of flora and fauna.
2. Share and validate findings from the 2019 yartsa gunbu field research.
3. Train citizen scientists on using a mobile app to monitor cultural heritage in the KSL.

Concept notes:

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