We, at CLTS Foundation, had the honor of collaborating with the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)’s Regional Program on Transboundary Landscapes between 2014 to 2016 for delivering ‘Community Led Total Sanitation and Waste Management” in the Transboundary Kailash Sacred Landscape (KSL) Conservation and Development Programme. We are proud to announce that the Regional Program on Transboundary Landscapes is the recipient of Renewable Natural Resources Foundation’s 2018 Outstanding Achievement Award. The collaborative activities between CLTS Foundation and ICIMOD included capacity building and sensitization of NGOs and other agencies on the concepts of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and the need for this approach as a part of ecosystems management and responsible tourism. Our support to the programme also included a Training of the Trainers (TOTs), developing local natural leaders to promote CLTS approach for conservation and development around Sacred Mount Kailash and Lake Mansarovar.

The Regional Program on Transboundary Landscapes has been advocating the use of the landscape approach, which delineates areas based on shared ecosystems instead of administrative boundaries, for managing biodiversity in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region – an ecological buffer zone and home to four global biodiversity hotspots. The KSL programme area includes three countries India (Pithoragarh district), Pulan County, Tibetan Autonomous Region, PR China and far west districts of Nepal like Humla, Baichang, Baitadi and Darchula covering a total area of 31252 sq.km and nearly 1 million human population.

Congratulations to Dr. Rajan Kotru and his team for their exemplary contribution towards sustainable mountain development and for winning this prestigious award!