Back to news

Yak Festival 2017

Promoting Yak Based Rural Livelihoods in the Kangchenjunga Landscape

Domesticated yaks play an important role in the lives of mountain people living in high altitude regions in India and Nepal. These animals have historically been used to transport goods across mountain passes, and for their milk, meat and hide. The Kangchenjunga Landscape initiative (KLCDI) has been working to strengthen and promote yak based rural livelihoods in the landscape, and organized a Yak Festival on April 14, 2017 to strengthen and promote rural yak based livelihoods.

1 min Read

70% Complete
Honorable Member of National Planning Commission and the chief guest of the Festival, Dr. Prabhu Budhathoki, addressing the local people in the event.

The festival took place in Phalelung rural municipality in Panchthar district, an area bordering Sikkim and the Indian territory of the Kangchenjunga Landscape (KL) at an altitude of 3,515 metres above sea level. The event was organized to preserve the culture of yak herding in the region by supporting the livelihoods of yak-dependent rural populations and linking them with high altitude ecotourism. Surketham Dairy Cooperative, the local District Forest Office and other district stakeholders organized the event with support from KLCDI, a transboundary initiative at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD).

National Planning Commission (NPC) member, Honorable Dr. Prabhu Budhathoki was chief guest of the event and inaugurated the festival. Among those attending were and the Chief District Officer of Panchthar and other district line agency officials. Dr. Budhathoki said that the NPC supports the idea of continuing such events in the future and will support yak-related activities through government channels. He also assured all present that the NPC will liaise with other partners to support such activities.


Yak in the Festival

Close to 2,000 people from the KL India (Sikkim, West Bengal, Darjeeling and Siliguri) and KL Nepal (Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Terhathum and Kathmandu) attended the event. About 500 yak from about 22 herds were exhibited, as were dairy products made from yak’s milk. In its second year of implementation, KLCDI is looking forward to promoting yak based rural livelihoods through transboundary ecotourism to ensure that landscape conservation also fosters regional cooperation.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

15 Nov 2016 News
Developing an Avenue to Strengthen Community Interactions and Engagement for Conservation and Development

It has been agreed upon that a Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC) will be established in Wa San Dum, a ...

22 Sep 2015 News
SAARC Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SAARC CCI) and private sector engagement in climate change

The SAARC region is one of the most densely populated and ecologically vulnerable regions in the world housing more than 40 percent ...

3 Jul 2017 Cryosphere
Building Capacity on Database Management in Bhutan

Namgyal was introduced to data, data types, data format, database structure, MODIS snow data, and database management. He also learned ...

28 Jul 2016 HICAP
Decision Support Tool for Climate Change Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Planning for Forest Ecosystems in Nepal

Different stakeholders working in forest and biodiversity in Nepal met at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) on ...

1 Jul 2015 News
Enhancing community preparedness in forest fire management in Nepal

Community members from Pragati, Jamuna, and Jana Pragati community forests in the Kayar Khola watershed of Nepal can now successfully ...

12 Dec 2016 News
“A Song for Barpak” Takes ICIMOD Prize at the Kathmandu International Mountain Film Festival

With stirring images and stories from before and after the devastating 2015 Nepal earthquake, director Pradip Pokhrel conveys a powerful ...

19 Dec 2016 News
ICIMOD partner receives award for Resilient Mountain Village

The Center for Environment and Agricultural Policy Research, Extension and Development (CEAPRED) received the Adaptation at Scale Prize, Protsahan ...

15 Jun 2016 News
Payment for Ecosystem Services for Drinking Water Schemes in Dhankuta, Koshi Hills, is Becoming a Reality

After a yearlong effort through an action research by ICIMOD’s Koshi Basin Programme (KBP) and its partner Green Governance of Nepal ...