- Yaya Tso Lake was recently designated as Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act, following multiple rounds of consultations between village stakeholders and the SECURE Himalaya project.
- After filing the application with the Ladakh Biodiversity Council, the project will facilitate the official notification of the BHS.
- The proposed Yaya Tso site will have an approximate area of 60 square kilometres, which will also include the lake’s watershed.
Yaya Tso
- It is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, including the bar-headed goose, black-necked crane, and brahminy duck.
- It is also one of the highest breeding sites of the black-necked crane in India.
SECURE Himalaya project
- It supports the Global Snow Leopard Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP), a collaborative effort of 12 range country governments, international organisations, civil society, and the private sector.
Project Landscapes
- Changthang, Landscape of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir
- Landscapes of Lahaul-Pangi and Kinnaur
- Landscapes of Gangotri-Govind and Darma-Byans,
- Khangchendzonga and the upper Teesta Valley.
Source: https://theprint.in/india/yaya-tso-to-be-ladakhs-first-biodiversity-heritage-site/1346143/#:~:text=Leh%2FJammu%2C%20Jan%2031%20(,(BHS)%2C%20officials%20said.