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Conservation planning case study: Tibet Autonomus Region, China
The Four Great Rivers project area comprises Linzhi and Chamdo Prefectures of the Tibet Autonomous Region, China. It comprises the headwaters of the Brahmaputra, Salween, Mekong, and Yangtze Rivers that flow through eight countries. Over one billion people live downstream from this area—20% of all humans on Earth.
The Four Great Rivers run through some of the world’s highest mountains and deepest valleys. This creates a great variety of ecosystems that support many wildlife and plant species. It is a global hotspot for biodiversity, as well as home to more than 12 ethnic groups.
The goal of the Four Great Rivers project is to conserve human communities, the ecosystems upon which they depend, and all biodiversity in perpetuity. Headed by the Science and Technology Department, Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), China, the project was launched in partnership with the international community change and educational institution Future Generations, an organization that brings over 20 years of experience working in the region. The David Suzuki Foundation was invited into the project to provide training and advice to TAR leaders and scientists in conservation science and conservation GIS methodologies in order to develop a conservation plan for the Four Great Rivers region.
Specifically, we provide training on modelling and mapping ecological and cultural data to designate core areas to protect biodiversity, corridors to enable wildlife to migrate, and human-use zones to support sustainable economies. These models and maps also identify economic opportunities for non-timber forest products, medicinal plants, and ecotourism. The goal is to help bring sustainable management to a part of the world that needs it the most—a global biodiversity hotspot that is also an area of local human need.