Regional ToT on Innovative Livelihoods for Stakeholders in HI-LIFE

Background

The Landscape Initiative for the Far-Eastern Himalayas (HI-LIFE) is a regional transboundary landscape conservation and development initiative jointly developed and implemented by partners from three countries – China, India, Myanmar, and the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). HI-LIFE includes seven townships in northern Myanmar – Namyun, Tanai, Sumprabum, Putao, Machanbaw, Nawngmun, and Khaunglanphu; the Namdapha Tiger Reserve including the Namdapha National Park and adjoining buffer areas in Changlang District in Arunachal Pradesh, India; and three Gaoligongshan National Nature Reserve segments; and adjoining areas between them in northwest Yunnan, China.

HI-LIFE seeks to mainstream landscape planning and management that brings both conservation and livelihoods co-benefits and increases communities’ participation for resources management, and strengthen regional cooperation among the three countries in addressing some of the key transboundary conservation and development issues.

In 2015, HI-LIFE country partners and ICIMOD assessed the key ecosystems services, potential livelihood options and mapped some of the on-going schemes and stakeholders. These recommendations were validated through Landscape Journey as a process tool for integrated planning and management in 2016. The Landscape Journey strengthened connections between community needs with government plans and consolidated actionable areas for implementation in an interdisciplinary and integrated manner.

The outcomes of Landscape Journey reinforced in all the three countries that eco-tourism promotion through optimising bio-cultural assets of ethnic diversity, rich agro-biodiversity (indigenous plant, livestock, bees) and non-timber natural resources (bamboos, medicinal herbs etc.) has the potential for sustainable livelihood co-benefits. National governments also have broader plans for infrastructure and allied socio-economic development plans. However, partners have identified certain gaps including a need for a development model that could strike a balance between conservation and development, acquiring practical skills in operating eco-tourism and other high-value enterprises using value chain approaches, and also in identifying and adapting relevant technologies.

Much of these concepts and skills can be learnt through practical observation and exchange of knowledge and experiences. ICIMOD, being an intergovernmental organisation, provides regional opportunities and platform for its member countries. In this regard, a six-day Regional Training of Trainers (TOT) event has been planned for the key implementers of the HI-LIFE programme.

Objectives

The main objective of the Regional ToT event is to build capacity of implementing partners in planning and executing conservation and development interventions prioritised in Hi-LIFE pilot sites. The event is expected to achieve the following:

• enhance understanding of participants on the concept and practices of value chain, ecotourism, and enterprise development as effective tools towards innovative livelihoods in the Hi-LIFE pilot areas;
• build capacity of partners in using relevant tools, processes and resources to develop an effective and integrated training programme;
• develop an action plan to conduct a national level training (value chain, ecotourism, enterprise development) to other stakeholders in the landscape;
• set the context for greater learning, innovation, and actions to evolve a regional collaborative efforts toward a transboundary HI-Life actions.

Participants

Five participants (at least 50% women) are proposed from each HI-LIFE member country. The following criteria may be used as guide to help select relevant participants:

• implementer of eco-tourism and value chain interventions in HI-LIFE pilot sites
• potential private sector for eco-tourism or value chain interventions
• representative from HI-LIFE Coordination Institute
• representative from local government administration department
• representative from key NGO/CBO partner