Upper Mustang Biodiversity Project

The project is a first of its kind proposal that seeks biodiversity conservation at a globally unique site located in one of the most remote corner of the globe that had remained closed to outsiders until the early nineties. The site has been recently added to the Annapurna Conservation Area Project (ACAP) -- a multiple use Protected Area, managed by an NGO (King Mahendra Trust for Nature Conservation - KMTNC). A key element of ACAP has been active participation by the indigenous people and decision making in ACAP is mostly taken by indigenous community and major user group. Thus a key element of this proposal is to link biodiversity with culturalconservation with co-financier funding the baseline activities including components of cultural conservation and the GEF providing incremental costs for biodiversity conservation. The project is located in the mountains of the Central and Eastern Himalayas, one of the key globally important sites for biodiversity. The Upper Mustangis under active consideration for nomination as a World Heritage Site.The objectives of this project consist of conserving the globally significant natural and cultural environment in the Palearctic biogeographical realm in the Trans-Himalayan region, blending biodiversity conservation with the preservation of indigenous culture and provision of basic human needs.