Snow Leopard Landscape

ConservationPartnering with Local Communities in Western China and Central Asia

for Conservation & Development

DR J MARC FOGGINMOUNTAIN SOCIETIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE

UNIVERSITY OF CENTRAL ASIA

In the Yangtze Headwaters…Project work has included education (tent schools),

health care (doctor training, village clinics), poverty alleviation (coops, tourism), as well as conservation

Genuine partnership implies a two-way street, including communities’ interests and concerns (not only engaging them to help us implement our conservation agenda)

Plateau Perspectives has worked in this region for nearly 20 years, working with many stakeholders

Tibetan Plateau • Tibet Autonomous

Region (TAR)• Qinghai Province• Gansu Province• Sichuan Province• Yunnan Province

Sanjiangyuan Region

Project area

Ecosystem services are delivered downstream,

from the Tibetan plateau region to the entire

country

Sanjiangyuan Nature ReserveEcosystem services are delivered from the Tibetan

plateau region to the entire country – downstreamLocal communities resident inside reserve

boundaries18 conservation areas, with 3 management zones

How to incorporate local knowledge into monitoring, planning, implementation?

Co-management approachBuilding on initiatives that pre-date SNNRTranslating ‘traditional’ and local knowledge into

‘scientific’ language, and incorporating into plansProviding training and capacity building, increasing

awareness of partners’ interests, knowledge, capacities

Community wardens and SNNR chose to focus attention on a focal species (snow leopard) to trial the viability and the cost-effectiveness of co-management

Snow leopard monitoringSeasonal transect surveys by wardens (several

wildlife species) incorporated into SNNR’s standard operations

Camera traps used to demonstrate gains of partnership

Finding: one of the world’s highest snow leopard densities found in local mountain range; leading to further wildlife research by Chinese universities and other organizations

However, depth and breadth of initial partnership difficult to replicate –requiring time and commitment beyond conservation per se

Scaling up the initial successCo-management approach scaled up – from initial trial to

provincial PA network (Qinghai Forestry Department)Approach integrated into the GEF/UNDP suite of projects

Increasing recognition by NGOs and international bodies such as IUCN, also government and policy makers, that conservation partnerships must consider both improved livelihoods and enhanced biodiversity

Key challenge will be inter-sectoral dialogue and collaboration, and the sharing of information and resources

Highlands of Central Asia

GSLEP InitiativeSnow Leopard Landscapes

identified under the GSLEP program in 12 snow leopard range state countries

As each landscape is unique in character, defined by cultures, geography, politics and socioeconomics – each needs specific interventions, i.e. tailored conservation management plans

GSLEP Secretariat anticipates that by the end of 2016, most landscapes will have functional management plans ready

23 Snow Leopard Landscapes

However some gaps remain, including a lack of SLLs on the

Tibetan Plateau

Community efforts in Central AsiaFor example, 5-6 community conservancies in

Tajikistan, drawing together wildlife monitoring (argali, ibex; snow leopard prey), hunting quotas, trophy revenue, tourism

Transboundary project: the Karakoram-Wakhan-Pamir Landscape Initiative (KWPLI) coordinated by ICIMOD, partners including University of Central Asia

© Munavvar Alidodov

CEPF initiative to profile the ‘Mountains of Central Asia’ biodiversity hotspot and develop a long-term investment strategy for conservation

Contact information

Mountain Societies Research Institutemsri.ucentralasia.org

Dr J Marc FogginAssociate Director, MSRImarc.foggin@ucentralasia.org