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Eastern Himalayas
Empowering communities to protect sacred lands
View of Jharkot Monastery near Muktina, Nepal
© Galen Rowell/Mountain Light
Few places on Earth can match the breathtaking splendor of the Himalayas. Its towering peaks and secluded valleys have inspired naturalists, adventure seekers and spiritualists for centuries. Its diverse landscapes harbor exotic creatures such as red pandas, snow leopards and one-horned rhinos.
Although this region has been romanticized as a mythical paradise, it is a fragile land facing many challenges. Climate change is melting its mountain glaciers. Overharvesting for food and timber, intensive grazing, agriculture expansion, deforestation and wildlife poaching are straining natural resources that people depend upon and threatening a number of endangered species.
WWF's vision: Establish a sustainable relationship between people and the environment to ensure a future that includes healthy wildlife populations, plentiful natural resources and lasting change for local livelihoods.
The place. The Himalayan mountain range forms a 1,500-mile-long barrier that separates the lowlands of the Indian subcontinent from the high, dry Tibetan Plateau. Located in Nepal, Bhutan, northern Myanmar, southeast Tibet and northeast India, the region is comprised of temperate forests, the world’s highest mountain peaks and tallest grasslands, savannas, and rich alpine meadows.
The species. The Eastern Himalayas harbor 10,000 plant species, 240 mammal species and 750 bird species. Its grasslands are home to the densest population of Bengal tigers, living alongside Asian elephants and one-horned rhinos. Bhutan offers refuges for snow leopards, red pandas and takins. The region’s mountain forests sustain Himalayan black bears and golden langurs.
The people. The region is a rich cultural mosaic of Buddhists, Hindus, Christians and animists, all of whom have lived closely with nature for centuries. Many communities live in isolation, and their livelihoods and traditions deeply depend on natural resources, making conservation an integral part of their lives.
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