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Plateau Perspectives has launched a new policy brief series that aims to raise awareness of established as well as emerging and ‘horizon’ development issues in community-based conservation and sustainable development.

The inaugural issue in the policy brief series focuses on the value of biodiversity – both intrinsic and utilitarian – and the imperative to protect biodiversity (i.e. nature, ecology, environment, creation…) as it is essential for human development.

The core focus of this new series is mountainous regions of the world, especially in greater Central Asia. Each issue will bring attention to a new or a complementary development issue deemed pertinent for human societies as well as local and regional ecologies, i.e., mountain social-ecological systems.

The full complement of Policy Briefs is available here.

Please contact us if you have any idea you would like to discuss.

China Relief 2020

What can be done?

Different ways of assisting are emerging, but these are still early days. Many requests are being made. We are in the preparatory phase in order to be ready when a preferred course of action is clear. However, although no single priority area of intervention has yet been decided, we are now currently assessing the logistics of preventative measures. Read the Updates and Field Reports on the website to learn more about emerging plans and actions… In the meantime our field staff continue to monitor the situation closely and already are preparing and providing initial forms of short-term assistance, as opportunities arise on the ground.

Collectively we are carefully considering the options available to us, as diligence is important even within emergency relief work.

China Relief 2020 Website

https://china2020.org/

ICCA Consortium, Upholding ‘Territories of Life’

As a Member of the ICCA Consortium, Plateau Perspectives participates in responding to emerging threats and opportunities by promoting ICCA self-strengthening processes at local level along with networking, peer-support and advocacy at national and international levels. More information about how the Consortium operates can be found on the ICCA Consortium website.

A close association is often found between a specific indigenous people or local community and a specific territory, area, or body of natural resources. When such an association is combined with effective local governance and conservation of nature, we speak of an “ICCA.”

ICCA sounds like an acronym, but it is not. It is an abbreviation for “territories and areas conserved by indigenous peoples and local communities” or “territories of life.” (Source: ICCA Consortium)

On the International Day for Biological Diversity, in May 2019, the Consortium released a 20 minute video journey through several territories of life across the world. In this short film, indigenous peoples and local community custodians will give an intimate glimpse into why their territories and areas are cradles of cultural and biological diversity and how they are seeking recognition and support.

In June 2019, Plateau Perspectives co-sponsored and participated in the West and Central Asia and the Caucasus 2019 Regional Assembly, which was held in Yerevan, Armenia with participants joining from Turkey, Georgia, Armenia, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan and Kyrgyzstan.

One ‘project’ that Plateau Perspectives is supporting in Central Asia is the recognition and strengthening of Yagnob ICCA, which is comprised of a community in Yagnob Valley, Tajikistan, who are descended from the ancient Sogdian Empire (see here). In addition, much of their territory has recently been declared as a national park (see short film), for which a management plan is currently being developed – with a focus on ‘co-management’ approaches in order to give greater agency to local communities and to support the protection of their language and culture as well as the extraordinary biodiversity in their Territory of Life.

Additionally, at the Annual General Meeting of the Consortium held in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India in December 2019, Plateau Perspectives’ international director was appointed as Auditor of the accounts for the consortium, to serve as representative of the membership and thus help ensure transparency and accountability in regard to funded projects and financial operations.

Horseback Planet Society

Plateau Perspectives has long supported the development of the HPS model of community-beneficial tourism – including an inspiration study tour to Nepal in 2011, joint trialing of community tourism activities in the Longbao wetlands, capacity building for guides, and the on-going development of an accreditation system for both guides and clients involved in horse trekking tourism.

Currently, HPS is launching community-based horse riding tourism in eastern Tibet Autonomous Region with professional and logistic support from Plateau Perspectives and the Qomolangma Glacier Foundation. Several exploratory tours already have taken place in Kyrgyzstan, in collaboration with local community rangers and the Ilbirs Foundation. Plans are now also being made to begin similar work in the Caucasus Mountains.

Marc Foggin and Chris Yuan have recently summarised the HPS experience and its innovative approach for the development of ecotourism for both people and nature in a working paper entitled Promoting conservation & community development through ecotourism: Experiences from valued conservation landscapes on the Tibetan plateau.