Presentation at Bridging Boundaries - ICIMOD at Katmandu, 14-15 November 2018 by Maja Vasilijevic.

1. Bridging boundaries: Strengthening Regional
Cooperation Across Transboundary River
Basins and Landscapes in the Hindu Kush
Himalaya
15–16 November 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal
Working Session I
Transboundary cooperation in the HKH

2. Does transboundary cooperation matter?
0
50
100
150
200
250
1988 1997 2001 2005 2007
Transboundary Conservation Areas
and internationally adjoining
protected areas
https://portals.iucn.org/library/sites/library/files/documents/PAG-023.pdf

3. Value of transboundary conservation
ECOLOGICAL
● Improving ecological integrity
● Enabling larger species dispersal
● Enabling resilience related to climate change impacts
● Ensuring long-term persistence of viable populations of species
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
● Strengthening social relations
● Building trust and friendly relations
● Supporting transboundary trade of local products
● Facilitating nature-based transboundary tourism
● Enabling common marketing
● Assisting sustainable development of borderlands
● Improving local economy

4. Value of transboundary conservation
CULTURAL
POLITICAL
● Recognizing cultural heritage and spiritual values
● Recognizing historical transboundary values
● Providing for engagement of Indigenous Peoples and
traditional local communities
● Enhancing cooperation and diplomatic relations
● Potential harmonisation of legal and policy frameworks
● Enabling foundation from which good political relations,
stability and peace are secured

5. Value of transboundary conservation
DAY-TO-DAY
MANAGEMENT &
RESEARCH
● Enhancing efficiency of day-to-day management of shared issues,
● Supporting coordinated capacity development for protected area staff
● Promoting dynamic problem-solving
● Enabling exchange of knowledge, information and expertise
● Facilitating joint research
● Supporting integrated management
● Developing common conservation strategies
● Enabling joint monitoring of species and habitats

6. Challenges in transboundary conservation
● Different languages and cultures
● Political indifference
● Differences in law
● Different levels of economic development
● Unequal resources, capacity and professional standards
● Undetermined vision and intangible goals
● Poor communication
● Lack of commitment and cooperative spirit
● Need for increased coordination
● Inaccessible terrain

7. Effective transboundary conservation:
Introductory thoughts
● Plan the transboundary conservation process carefully
● Identify if there is a reason to work together
● Assess the capacities throughout the process
● Agree on common goals, objectives
● Agree on ways of operation
● Involve relevant stakeholders
● Ensure mandates from decision-makers
● Be adaptive and flexible
● Employ the transboundary conservation governance models
that best suit the given circumstances