KATHMANDU, JULY 17
UNESCO, in collaboration with the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC) and Samriddha Pahad, has begun installing trail cameras and GPS devices in Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA) for biodiversity monitoring.
These installations, taking place from 16-19 July 2025 in Tapethok, Hellok, and Lelep, aim to integrate modern scientific methods with Indigenous knowledge to improve information collection on biodiversity and support real-time ecological monitoring, according to the press release issued by the UNESCO.
Ahead of the installation, a two-day training on July 14–15 in Lelep provided local communities, including students and stakeholders, hands-on experience with the equipment. The capacity-building workshop also focused on encouraging local engagement in biodiversity protection, UNESCO said.
KCAMC Chairperson Khagendra Phembu Limbu said the goal is to identify biodiversity hotspots and promote the KCA's designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. "Training activities such as the use of trail cameras will strengthen the knowledge and capacity of Indigenous communities in monitoring biodiversity," he said.
The workshop also introduced the concept of a Biosphere Reserve under UNESCO's Man and the Biosphere (MAB) Programme, which promotes harmony between conservation, development, and scientific research.
Prof. Dr. Hari Prasad Aryal, MAB committee member of NATCOM, stressed the importance of combining scientific tools with traditional knowledge in high-altitude ecosystems like KCA. "It was encouraging to witness the strong participation of indigenous communities in the workshop. Their innate understanding of nature, and their commitment to protecting wildlife, soil integrity, and water resources, stands as a model for sustainability. We must listen, learn, and act with humility and respect for the wisdom of these guardians," added Prof. Aryal.
This initiative supports KCA's long-term vision of securing international recognition through the IUCN Green List, a global campaign for successful nature conservation and eventual designation as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, aligning with the goals of the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. This framework is designed to help achieve global sustainable development goals building upon earlier conservation strategies and outlines an ambitious path towards a global vision of a world living in harmony with nature by 2050, UNESCO further added.
"For UNESCO, the ongoing initiatives at Kanchenjunga are not merely about protecting nature. It is about valuing local people, their indigenous knowledge, and their sustainable livelihoods. Here in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, our collaborative efforts and actions strongly resonate with the very essence of UNESCO's overarching mission," says Jaco Du Toit, UNESCO Representative to Nepal.
The project is part of the "Strengthening Community Engagement for Biodiversity Conservation in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area" initiative, supported by the Kunming Biodiversity Fund. It contributes to KCA's long-term goal of achieving IUCN Green List status and eventual recognition as a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve under the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.
