Project Duration – Oct. 2018- April 2019

The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India along with United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has commenced a new GEF funded project, SECURE Himalaya (Securing livelihoods, conservation, sustainable use and restoration of high range Himalayan ecosystems) in Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Sikkim. The project aims to assist the national and state governments to effectively promote sustainable land and forest management in alpine pastures in the Himalayan ecosystems that secure sustainable livelihoods and ensure conservation of globally significant biodiversity and threatened species. IORA prepared the Integrated Landscape Level Management Strategy and Plans for Ladakh and Sikkim landscapes. We mapped the landuse, vegetation cover and biodiversity in the areas adjoining Protected Areas (PA) of Gya – Meru and Rong in Sikkim, and Tsomoriri and Tso Kar lake basins in Ladakh. The team undertook multiple stakeholder consultations with line departments, NGOs and local communities to identify major issues faced by the people and devise mitigation strategies. We defined the landscape boundaries in terms of physical boundaries, biodiversity values, land use land cover and socio-economic profiles of the local communities.