UNESCO strengthens Community led Biodiversity Monitoring in Kanchenjunga

A two-day workshop on the Kunming Biodiversity Fund (KBF) Project, focused on community engagement for Biodiversity Conservation in the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area, has concluded in Phungling. The workshop marks the final stage of the eight-month long initiative, which successfully leveraged modern technology and Indigenous knowledge in safeguarding the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area (KCA), a vital biodiversity hotspot home to endangered species like the snow leopard and red panda.

The project, implemented by UNESCO in partnership with the International Union for Conservation of Nature Nepal (IUCN) and in collaboration with the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC), the Kanchenjunga Conservation Area Management Council (KCAMC), and Samriddha Pahad, focused on empowering local stakeholders.

A central achievement of the project was the successful integration of modern scientific monitoring tools with the expertise of Indigenous Peoples and Local Communities (IPLCs). This included the installation of trail cameras and GPS devices in July 2025 to establish a community-led biodiversity monitoring system.