Incentives for Ecosystem Services (IES) in the Himalayas: A ‘Cookbook’ for Emerging IES Practitioners in the Region

Main message: In rural Himalayan areas, there are many traditional and customary practices to manage ecosystems. These can be made more effective and sustainable if they are incorporated well into ecosystem management, including IES schemes. The Pakistan Markhor hunting scheme was designed based on such customary practices (present prior to the 1960s). Traditional/ customary institutions can contribute significantly to the success of IES schemes in the Himalayas. Case 7: Community-Based Trophy Hunting – Gilgit-Baltistan, Pakistan

Setting: Pakistan has a rich biodiversity which includes almost 200 mammal species, 20 of which are threatened and four endemic (Emerton et al., 2006). These species are threatened by habitat loss due to human encroachment and overexploitation. Specific threats include local subsistence activities (hunting for food), which is driven by lack of income and employment in communities (Emerton et al., 2006).

The Community-based Trophy Hunting Programme (CTHP) in Bar Valley, Nagar is an incentive-based, scientific approach to manage threatened, rare and endemic species in remote mountain areas. The programme works to strengthen local incentives for conservation through the generation of hunting revenues. It is a form of IES wherein coveted trophies of wild ungulates are exclusive ecosystem services and where revenues are shared with the communities.

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Incentives for Ecosystem Services (IES) in the Himalayas