Yaya Tso Lake

Recently, Yaya Tso Lake was declared Ladakh’s first biodiversity heritage site under the Biological Diversity Act.

Details –

The Biodiversity Management Committee, the panchayat of Chumathang village, along with the SECURE Himalaya Project recently resolved the issue and declared Yaya Tso Lake a biodiversity heritage site.

About the Yaya Tso Lake –

• Lake Yaya Tso is known as a bird’s paradise for its beautiful lake located at an altitude of 4,820 metres in Ladakh.
• It is a nesting habitat for a large number of birds and animals, such as 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.

What is the Secure Himalaya project?

• It is funded by the Global Environment Facility.
• It supports the government’s efforts for the conservation of snow leopard and its habitat by developing and implementing a landscape-based approach for Himalayan ecosystems, and addresses key issues of habitat degradation, threatened livelihoods and illegal trade in wildlife.
• It was launched in 2017.
• Project Landscapes —
  • • Changthang, Ladakh Landscape — Jammu & Kashmir
    • Lahaul-Pangi and Kinnaur Landscapes — Himachal Pradesh
    • Gangotri-Govind and Darma-Byans Landscapes — Uttarakhand
    • Khangchendzonga-upper Teesta Valley — Sikkim