Back to news
6 Apr 2016 | Geospatial solutions

Anchoring Transboundary Cooperation: Vegetation and Land Use Type Map of Kailash Sacred Landscape

1 min Read

70% Complete
The map is launched at ICIMOD by Dr David Molden, Director General on 29 March, 2016.

Kailash sacred landscape covers more than 31,000 km2 geographical area and is spread across China, India, and Nepal. It exhibits diverse vegetation, starting from tropical forest at around 800m altitude to alpine steppe found at altitude higher than 4000 m, and transecting across subtropical, montane, grassland, subalpine and alpine vegetation.

The vegetation type and land cover map forms the basis for planning and management for ecological conservation, tourism, enhancement of livelihood value chains, climate change studies, biomass and carbon studies, study of ecosystem services, and a lot of other practical uses as well. However, since it is a transboundary area with three countries, several classification systems of vegetation and maps exist. It becomes challenging to integrate these maps owing to their differential scales, names and sources.

The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD) through its Kailash Sacred Landscape Initiative has been able to harmonise the vegetation type classification scheme with its country partners in China, India, and Nepal. The final map of Kailash Sacred landscape was launched at ICIMOD, which was compiled through two years by partners, experts in ecology and remote sensing, and other stakeholders. The map depicts the percentage of area covered by 14 vegetation types and five land use/cover types from Kailash Sacred Landscape. It will be available through online platform for researchers, policy makers, and other stakeholders working in the landscape.

The harmonisation and learning process is crucial information for ICIMOD’s and other transboundary landscape initiatives in the HKH.

Combining several other data layers with the map (e.g. wildlife population and habitat distribution, springshed location, institutions of forest management, livelihood types etc.) KSLCDI plans to upscale the information for effective landscape level management on a transboundary scale that links institutions, interventions and investments.

Stay current

Stay up to date on what’s happening around the HKH with our most recent publications and find out how you can help by subscribing to our mailing list.

Sign Up

Related content

Continue exploring this topic

3 Dec 2015 News
Policymakers Instrumental in Mitigating Pollution and Climate Change in the HKH Region

Experts from the HKH region discussed efforts to integrate air pollution and climate change mitigation activities in Asia during a ...

2 Dec 2019 HI-LIFE
Promoting climate-smart livelihoods in the Far-Eastern Himalayan Landscape

On 9 November 2019, representatives from ICIMOD’s Far-Eastern Himalayan Landscape Initiative (HI-LIFE), UNDP, and the Global Environmental Institute (GEI) delivered ...

14 Jun 2018 REDD+
ICIMOD supports ICFRE in developing State REDD+ Action Plan for Uttarakhand, India

Countries seeking funds from the Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD+) programme need to develop a National REDD+ ...

2 Aug 2017 Himalica
Nepal National Adaptation Plan (NAP) Delegation Visits Bhutan

From the Bhutanese side, the Secretariat of the National Environment Commission (focal agency for NAP) coordinated technical discussions and interactions, ...

24 Jul 2018 CBFEWS
Communities in Four Countries Gear Up to Fight Floods

At least four communities across the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) are better prepared to fight floods this year. Floods and ...

15 Nov 2016 News
Developing an Avenue to Strengthen Community Interactions and Engagement for Conservation and Development

It has been agreed upon that a Community Information Resource Centre (CIRC) will be established in Wa San Dum, a ...

Brick Entrepreneurs in Pakistan Learn to Construct and Operate Zig-zag Brick Kilns

The events created awareness and trained brick entrepreneurs and workers in operating zig-zag kilns and precise brick stacking practices, and ...

8 Jun 2015 News
Biodiversity for disaster mitigation

After the recent earthquake, the Government of Nepal, together with the conservation consortium members, including ICIMOD, came ...