But warming temperatures are eating away at that reserve, causing many of the Third Pole’s glaciers to shrink, seasonal snow to melt rapidly, and thawing Tibet’s vast stores of permafrost. That rapid melting and thawing is changing the landscape and posing risks for communities and species in the region—threatening livelihoods, food sources and water security.
In 2012, WWF launched a four-year, USAID-funded project to help communities and wildlife adapt to changes in the region. Through the Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes and Communities project, WWF staff are conducting a large-scale climate vulnerability assessment in six countries in the region (Bhutan, India, Nepal, Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, and Pakistan) to improve local communities’ climate change adaptation strategies and water security, as well as creating an interactive Third Pole “geolab” to share knowledge. The project also focuses on conserving the region’s iconic snow leopard, because the intertwined ecosystems that create snow leopard habitat are crucial to the region’s adaptation and water security.
By embracing sustainable, climate-smart practices and reducing human-wildlife conflict, communities are protecting these ecosystems and their (and the snow leopards’) futures. In addition to on-the-ground work, the project works at a higher level fostering regional alliance for conserving the landscapes of the Third Pole—snow and ice included.