 WWF |
 FRANTISEK KOVARIK GREAT AND SMALL: Nepal's first and only scorpion . |
That is the eastern Himalaya encompassing parts of Nepal, Tibet, Myanmar, India and Bhutan where 353 new animal and plant species have been discovered over the last decade. The discovery highlights the area's isolation, but also its fragility. Habitat destruction, and now climate change, threaten this Himalayan treasure trove.
Of the 353 discoveries 242 are plants, 16 amphibians, 16 reptiles, 14 fish, two birds, two mammals and at least 61 invertebrates. Among the more surprising of these news finds is the Macaca munzala, the first new monkey species discovered in over a century, sighted in Assam.
Researchers also discovered the world's smallest deer, the Muntiacus putaoensis or 'leaf deer', which stands at a mere 60-80 cm tall.
A staggering 94 of these species, roughly 27 per cent of the total number, were found in Nepal, including the first scorpion species discovered in the country, which has been given the technical Latin name Heterometrus nepalensis. Another Nepali discovery is a frog found in Chitwan National Park and accordingly christened Hylarana chitwanensis, and is already close to extinction.
Among the more bizarre finds is the Impatiens namchabarwensis sighted in Tibet amid treacherous terrain which changes color according to the temperature. Scientists also discovered 'Smith's litter frog', a small frog with gold, bulging eyes and slimy texture.
The Worldwide fund for Nature (WWF) in its new campaign called 'Where Worlds Collide' draws attention to the threats to the environment of the eastern Himalaya. Part of the reason why the region is so ecologically diverse is that it spans the Tibetan plateau and Gangetic lowlands, both now under severe strain from climate variability.
"These discoveries follow years of study, but are just the tip of the ice-berg as new discoveries are being made every day," said Tariq Aziz of WWF.
 BHUTAN TIMES The elusive snow leopard. |
Seventy-five per cent of the original habitat has already disappeared and at least 163 of its species are globally threatened, says the WWF report.
"If we don't address these problems soon, there could be unimaginable ecological crisis," says Anil Manandhar of WWF.
But the government can't simply enforce a blanket ban on land settlement or logging since the region's natural resources sustain a third of Nepal's population, many of whom are desperately poor.
But there are proven ways to sustain livelihoods while protecting the environment, and one of them is Nepal's famous community forestry program.
'Where Worlds Collide' is meant to draw global attention to an ecologically embattled region. "Although the world is concerned about climate change, they are focusing on the tropics, Africa, the north and south poles, but not this part of Nepal" said Manandhar.
 MILIVOJE KRVAVAC The yellow-eyed frog found in Assam is among the 353 new specieis discovered in the Eastern Himalaya in the last ten years. |
"Conservation is not just about wildlife, it is about water, economy, and natural resources too," Manandhar told Nepali Times. This is the first time Nepal has entered such a comprehensive ecological deal with its neighbours. An earlier agreement with India focused on wildlife and forestry issues alone.
The WWF has sponsored similar campaigns in other bio-diversity hotspots around the world, including the Coral Triangle-involving the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and it plans to launch seven more.
Although it's still too early to say how successful such ventures have been, experts are optimistic since the regional implications of conservation issues are now widely acknowledged. But bilateral relations could interfere if they turn testy.
Warns Aziz: "Extrinsic factors, like the need for hydropower and difficult bilateral relations, could spoil the deal."
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Hot spot - FROM ISSUE #465 (21 AUG 2009 - 27 AUG 2009)
