Cooperation for management of transboundary ecosystems across the borders of India, Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh
Student name: Mr Karan Masand Rai
Guide: Dr Sudipta Chatterjee
Year of completion: 2017
Host Organisation: WWF-India
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Ms Urvana Menon
Abstract: Ecosystems all over the world are divided by political boundaries that exist. These ecosystems are
influenced by policy, legal and governance structures as well as socio-economic and cultural
systems. According to IUCN, there are 200 odd examples of transboundary conservation
programmes in which cooperation ranges from informal agreements to government-to-government
treaties. While a lot of conservation efforts take place at a national level, especially in the case of
India, Bhutan, Nepal and Bangladesh, very few exist on a multilateral level. This study explores
approaches for regional cooperation to ensure effective ecosystem management based on certain
parameters which determine the effectiveness of transboundary conservation initiatives and
conservation tools. A few mechanisms proposed in the study are Payment for Ecosystem Services,
Regional Environmental Agreement and Environmental Stewardship, which, if used together, have
the potential to provide solutions for existing conservation issues in Terai, Manas and Sundarbans.
This study is an attempt to examine the biological richness of the three transboundary conservation
spaces of India and to examine mechanisms to raise the conservation profile of these areas.
Keywords: Transboundary Cooperation, Ecosystem Management, Flow of Capital, Sustainable
Conservation Approach, Enhanced Conservation.
