Eastern Himalayas

Working in the youngest and highest mountain chain on earth

Few places on Earth can match the breathtaking splendour of the Himalayas.

 
The towering peaks and secluded valleys of this mountain range form a 2,500km (1,500-mile) long barrier separating the lowlands of the Indian subcontinent from the high, dry Tibetan Plateau.

Stretching from lush moist forests in the south to towering snowcapped peaks in the north, the Himalayas feature an astonishing variety of animals and plants.

A rich tapestry of life
Only in the Eastern Himalayas ecoregion can one find rhinos, tigers and elephants coexisting with millions of people in the Terai grasslands; snow leopards, red pandas and the unique takin living in a Bhuddist Kingdom - Bhutan - that is still 70% forest; and Himalayan black bears, spectacular alpine meadows and golden langur monkeys thriving in the temperate mountain forests.

While this region has been romanticized as a mythical paradise, it is a fragile land threatened in numerous ways. Global warming is slowly melting mountain glaciers, poverty and rapid population growth are straining resources and causing deforestation, and poaching is reducing many prized species such as rhinos and tigers.

Restoring nature for people and wildlife
WWF is tackling these problems with some of the most ambitious programs in its history.

• In India and Nepal's Terai grasslands, a 50-year plan known as the Terai Arc aims to restore and reconnect the 11 national parks and protected areas with forest corridors to allow rhinos, tigers, elephants and people to thrive.
• In the Kangchenjunga Conservation Area Project, women are forming leadership, literacy and income-generating groups to achieve long-term conservation results.
• And WWF is helping the Royal Government of Bhutan keep its pledge to protect at least 60 percent of its vast, diverse forests, which will ensure the survival of endangered species such as tigers, snow leopards, rhinos and red pandas.
  

There are extraordinary opportunities for conservation to help the people and wildlife of the region live and prosper together.

The governments and people of Bhutan, Nepal and India share a strong conservation ethic. WWF is working closely with them on innovative ways to promote their development and economic well-being while protecting wildlife and restoring natural habitats at the same time.