Project Location: Sikkim

The high-altitude rangelands of the Hindu Kush Himalaya, located between 3,000 and 5,500 m, constitute about 60% of the region. These rangelands are vital yet fragile ecosystems shaped by harsh climates and sparse vegetation. These landscapes support yak-based pastoralism, with yaks (Bos grunniens) providing essential resources such as meat, milk, fibre, manure and transport, integral to the livelihoods of high-mountain communities. 

Sustainable management of these rangelands offers powerful nature-based solutions to pressing challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity and food insecurity. ATREE, in collaboration with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), is implementing a Rangeland Management Programme in the rangelands of India. The project aims to assess the status, vulnerabilities and resilience of rangeland socio-ecological systems in the context of climate and socio-demographic change, focusing on vegetation diversity, yak dietary habits and milk productivity to inform improved management models in the Sikkim Himalaya. 

ATREE also seeks to establish a network of yak herders across the Indian Himalayan states to develop collaboration, knowledge exchange and community-led stewardship through this initiative.