Biodiversity conservation in the Sacred Landscapes of the Eastern Himalayas

Ghanashyam SharmaEnvironment & Sustainable Development Programme

Prof. Koji TanakaCentre for Integrated Area Studies, Kyoto University

Outline

Biodiversity Significance

Farming Systems

Livelihood of the peoplePresent Research in the UNU and after

Some Outcomes

World’s Biodiversity Hotspots

Biodiversity Hotspots in Red (Myers, et al, 2001)

India Map

The Eastern Himalayas

• The Sikkim Himalaya• Eastern Nepal• Bhutan• North-eastern States of India• Some parts China and Myanmar

Sikkim Himalaya• Sikkim- A Himalayan state of India• Darjeeling Hills

Map showing the land-use land-cover in SikkimSource: NBSAP for Sikkim 2002

• 82.31% of the total geographical area is under the Government of Sikkim

• 15.69 is available for farming• 12.23% is cultivable

Biodiversity Significance

• World's Ten Critical Centers for Biodiversity and Endemism

• Sikkim Himalaya is a part of biodiversity "hotspot"

Red Panda150 species of mammals

Monal Pheasant552 species of birds

Butterflies690 species of butterflies

Rhododendrons36 species

Some Important Medicinal Plants-Sikkim

Tulsi- Ocimum sanctum

Kurilo- Asparagus racemosus

Sarpagandha- Rauwalfia serpentina

Kalobehi – Solanum nigrum

Pipla- Piper longum

Jethimadhu- Glycyrrhiza glabra

Kutki- Picrorhiza kurooa

Kapisful, Kuth- Saussurea costus

Jatamansi – Nardostachys jatamansi

Ishabgol- Plantago ovata

Chutro- Berberis aristata

Garjo, Gurgau - Tinospora cordifolia

Chiraita- Swertia chirayata

Bel- Aegle marmelos

Bikh, Atish- Aconitum heterophyllum

Amla- Emblica officinalis

About 500 speciesare widely used

Medicinal plants practitioner

Takin (Budorcas taxicolor) Sikkim

450 species of trees

Tropical Shorea forest to alpine Rhododendron-Birch forest

515 species oforchids

About 26% total plant wealth ofIndian sub-continent

363 species fernsand allies

• Sikkim is phytogeographically rich and houses about 4500 species of plants

• 60% of which are endemic• 48 species of fishes • 33 species of reptiles• 16 species of amphibians reported till

date

Meeting ground of Indo-Malayan & Indo-Chinese biogeographical realms

as well as Himalayan and Peninsular Indian elements that has given rise to a very rich

biodiversity both wildand in cultivated landscapes

Lakes of Sikkim

Tsongu Lake

Khecheopalri Lake

Perennial rivers and valleys

Who conserves this Biodiversity• Diversity of ethnic communities• Traditional Institutions• Farmers

Biodiversity Conservation • Protected Areas

• Wildlife Sanctuaries• National parks• Biosphere Reserves

• Reserve Forests, Community Forests• Cultivated Systems

• Agricultural biodiversity

Traditional Institutions

• Dzumsa System• MLAS• Other Community based traditional

institutions

The Lachen Valley Dzumsa System (3000 m)

Motanchi Lom Al Szezum (MLAS),Lepcha traditional institution

• Resource allocation and utilization is controlled by Dzumsa

Bhutia Lepcha

Nepali

Farming systems

• The alpine agropastoralism• Traditional Agroforestry

systems• Upland Valley Rice cultivation

Villages Blocks under traditionalFarming System in Sikkim

Tibetan Nomadic agropastoralism

• Yak, sheep grazing in the main occupation

• The products are meat, wool, cheese, medicinal plants

The

Lhon

akVa

lley

Challenges of the Dokpas• Difficult mountain specificity• Population decreased• Decrease of grazing land• External pressure• Livestock population reducing

What we intend to do• Documentation and dialogue in a

participatory manner

• Recognition of the system

• Conservation of Biodiversity

Traditional Large Cardamom Agroforestry

Production and Economics• Low volume high value non

perishable less labour intensive cash crop

• Net return range from US$ 714 to 1000 per hectare

• Good storing/keeping quality and does not require immediate marketing

• 53% of the total world production is produced by the farmers of Sikkim with an earning of about 15 million US dollars

• Basic resources such as fuel, timber and fodder are available in the system

Advantages• Ecological Sustainability

• Cultivars• Ecological amplitude• Soil fertility maintenance

• Economic Return• Agronomic• Timber and NTFP

• Biodiversity

• High Carbon Sequestration Rates

• Comparative Advantage

• Absolute Advantage Resources

Cardamom curing in the Bhatti

• Curing is traditional

• Quality maintenance (aroma and colour) for good market

Mandarin Orange Mixed-tree Agroforestry

Mandarin orchard and intercropping

Production and Economics• High value, high volume, less labour

intensive, Net return range from US$ 500 to 750 per hectare

• Basic resources can be met in the system from the associated tree diversity

• Comparative advantage

Ecological Ecological sustainabilitysustainability

•• Soil and nutrient loss Soil and nutrient loss are fairly high from the are fairly high from the system and nutrient system and nutrient exhaustiveexhaustive

•• Maintains tree and other Maintains tree and other associate biodiversityassociate biodiversity

Mixed Farming Mixed Farming Agriculture SystemAgriculture System

Slope management and agroforestrydevelopment

Multiple intercropping and multipurpose tree management

Agriculture and Education

Upland Valley rice Cultivation

• Local landraces of rice are many• Pulses, beans and soybeans are

grown in the raised bunds• Introduction of landraces• Once rice is harvested farmers

grow wheat, potatoes, maize and other vegetables

Some underutilized crops• Rich agrobiodiversity

• genetic diversity• Ecosystem diversity• Species diversity

• Crops such as pulses, finger millet, rice, buckwheat have good market

• Basic resources such as feulwood, fodder, timber etc.

• Maintain associated biodiversity Multiple values of traditional crops• Medicinal , nutritional• Other

Farm-based agroforestry

Mixed cropping

A typical mountain village

The Sacred Himalayan Landscape

• The Demozong Heritage• Ters• Beyuls• Beyuls Khenpalung

Rumtek Monastery

Biodiversity Products and Prospects

• Protected areas• Traditional Agriculture system• Ethnic diversity• Ecotourism destination• Ecological and ecosystem services• Sequestration of carbon

Indigenous Knowledge, Traditional Food & socio-cultural Diversity

in the Sikkim Himalaya

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Turangbai in Arunachal Pradesh

Kinema

Hawaijar in Manipur

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Source: JP Tamang 2006Women sell Kinema in the weekly markets

Chhurpi a milk product

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Fermented beverage Jdnar from finger millet

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Edible Wild Plants

Urtica dioica ‘sishnu’ Tupistra nutans ‘nakima’

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Marketing Edible Wild Plants in Sikkim

Marketing Edible Wild Plants in Sikkim

Source: JP Tamang 2006

Traditional Wood carving, Carpets etc. are good products

Goal:

Mountain Agrobiodiversity Conservation focusing on Traditional Ecological Knowledge, Sustainable Livelihoods and related Policy Imperatives: A case study from the Eastern Himalayas

Main Objectives

1. Assessment• agricultural biodiversity

2. Management• innovative adaptive management practices, • traditional knowledge systems, • technologies and policies on agriculture on biodiversity

3. Capacity• Strengthen the capacities of farmers • indigenous and local communities• stakeholders to manage sustainable agricultural biodiversity

4. Mainstreaming• Participation and consultation of all stakeholders a• Promote Agricultural biodiversity• mainstreaming in sectoral and cross-sectoral plans and

programmes

Research in Sikkim• To investigate the Potential of Sustainable Agorecosystem

Management

• To find policy options to establish SAM to improve sustainability and livelihood

Join UNU PLEC at SEAMMR

• Study and understand the UNU PLEC project through specific site visits and sharing with various stakeholders in each country

• Compare and compile the relevant results which would be replicable to Sikkim and in the adjoining areas

Plan of Research

Partnership and dialogue

• Visit of UNU team to Sikkim• A preliminary workshop was organized

• Government of Sikkim, ICIMOD, UNU, Kyoto University, NGOs and R&D Organizations participated

• Partnership and collaboration initiated

• GIAHS Draft Proposal Reviewed by the Government

• GIAHS proposal submitted to the FAO

• We would discuss it with the Government of Sikkim during our visit to Sikkim in April

Recent Outcomes