Conservation planning in the Eastern Himalaya has taken strides forward during the past one decade. This particularly refers to cooperation for biodiversity conservation and sustainable development for the transboundary conservation landscapes. International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development has been facilitating discussion amongst stakeholders including government officials from India, Nepal, China and Bhutan for regional cooperation on transboundary biodiversity conservation. Kangchenjunga complex has been identified as an important transboundary landscape in the Eastern Himalaya. Geographically, it spreade over the natural and national boundaries of Nepal, India, Bhutan and Tibetan Autonomous Region of China. In its southern half there are 14 important protected areas within the landscape and also remnant areas with high biological diversity. Landscape conservation for connecting nine of the 14 protected areas by establishing biological corridors has been promoted. Participatory processes revealed that the transboundary biodiversity conservation is a necessity in the present straddling conservation and sustainable development arena. Kangchenjunga transboundary biodiversity conservation landscape initiative is enhancing regional cooperation for conservation in the landscape. This paper highlights the paradigm shift in conservation while analyzing landscape heterogeneity, conservation corridor linkages and their potentials, and socio-cultural and economic opportunities in the Kangchenjunga landscape.
