At A Glance

The Response

The project will develop coordinated planning and improve enforcement of plans and policies through cooperation with and between government departments. In particular the project will facilitate the development of a comprehensive landscape-level Conservation Management Plan for the region which will be integrated in the key economic sectors’ current policies and development plans. The project will also work with livestock herders to increase their access to conservation information and to help them develop more sustainable practices.

Project Focus

Ø  A GIS database based on systemic assessments of large mammal populations, rangeland use, livestock and nomad livelihood at county level will be established and used for decision making；
Ø  A comprehensive and unified “Chang Tang Landscape Conservation Management Plan” will be developed, agreed upon and implemented by relevant stakeholders；
Ø  Communities in the project area will be trained in the skills necessary to protect and manage biodiversity resources；

Cooperating Agency
Wildlife Conservation Society

Partners
1. World Wide Fund for Nature
2. Tibet Forestry Bureau
3. Tibet Academy of Agriculture and Animal Sciences
4. Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences

The Challenge

The Chang Tang Region in the south western Tibetan plateau is one of the most unique landscapes of the world holding rich and endemic wildlife resources-wild yak, chiru, brown bear, wolf, etc.. However, human populations and livestock throughout the project area continue to grow and result in settlements and utilization in previously inhabited areas. Herders are replacing their tents and horses with houses and motorcycles. These changes lead to increased levels of human-wildlife conflict in the Chang Tang region, including livestock kills, grazing competition, and displacement of wildlife from areas.