Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, April 19:

In order to enhance the control of local communities over their natural resources, German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) has given a grant of about $500,000 to International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD). The grant has been provided to facilitate the implementation of the provisions of the Convention on Biological Biodiversity (CBD) in four countries of the Eastern Himalayan Region (EHR). The EHR comprises of poorest people, who largely depend on natural resources for their livelihoods. Intra-state conflicts, widening disparity and inequities, ambiguity over tenure and property rights, loss of access and control of indigenous people to common property resources, refugee migrations over borders and internally displaced persons are the common issues faced by EHR. The regional programme to strengthen equity and livelihood security through sustainable management of biodiversity resources for the indigenous people of the Eastern Himalayas covers four countries, Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan and India. With an objective of promoting innovations that facilitate equitable sharing of benefits from biological resources and build capacities of indigenous people, the programme has been launched. The programme is to be implemented by International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development’s Integrated Programme looking after culture, equity, gender and governance.