Ecosystem Profile: Western Ghats & Sri Lanka

CEPF Program Focus and Investment Strategy

Priority Outcomes for CEPF Investment
To focus CEPF investment in the Western Ghats, a prioritization of the 126 site outcomes was undertaken. Sites that are wholly irreplaceable because one or more species they contain are found nowhere else will be among the priorities for CEPF investment at the site level. In an attempt to objectively prioritize the remaining sites, a grid-based analysis of conservation value was undertaken (see Appendix 4 for details). A cumulative conservation value index was calculated for each grid. Criteria that were considered in the conservation value index included the number of globally threatened species, presence of regionally rare vegetation types and unique ecosystems such as Myristica swamps and the availability of relatively unfragmented forest and other natural habitats.

The area within the hotspot boundary that can be considered to have natural vegetation and biodiversity attributes and for which spatial data and remotely sensed data were available was defined as the area of analysis for this exercise (Appendix 5). The unique habitats were identified on the basis of the index of evergreenness. The wettest and most evergreen sites which are closely associated with presence of closed canopy evergreen forest or unique evergreen communities such as the Myristica swamps were identified in each subregion. The rarest vegetation type in each subregion was identified using a current vegetation map. The quality of the forest cover was based on an “edginess” factor derived from analyses of remotely sensed data and the top 25 percent on this index was considered high quality. Numbers of globally threatened mammal, bird and amphibian species were considered, because data in the other taxonomic groups was considered not comprehensive enough to permit a region-wide analysis.

The results of the conservation value index calculation revealed that substantial biodiversity at the species and site levels occur outside protected areas. We identified the grids falling in the upper quartile or the top 25 percent of the conservation value index as being high priority. These were overlaid on our site outcome boundaries to identify the 80 sites for CEPF funding (Figures 10 and 11). The results of the prioritization indicate that 80 percent of the high conservation value areas lie in and around (or adjacent to) existing protected areas, with the high conservation value of some of these neighboring unprotected areas resulting from factors such as intact forest cover or the presence – in relatively high densities – of unique and threatened vegetation types. Furthermore, 3,600 square kilometers of high-priority area was not contained within the existing protected area network. Priority sites are represented in each of the five corridors, with the Sahyadri-Konkan corridor having nine priority sites.

Another significant finding of the landscape-level analysis was the highly fragmented nature of high-priority areas. Only 24.8 percent of the total area of moist evergreen forests (15,057 square kilometers) of the Western Ghats was found to be relatively unfragmented and with low degree of edge. Seventy-four percent of these forests lie outside the protected area system.

Figure 10. Priority Site Outcomes for CEPF Investment in the Southern Western Ghats (PDF, 75 KB)

Figure 11. Priority Site Outcomes for CEPF Investment in the Northern Western Ghats (PDF, 56 KB)

Identification of priority corridors for some of the investment priorities was based on a consultative process with partners using all available information including spatial data on forest cover type distribution, topography, protected area and reserve forest boundaries, movement of wide-ranging species, and levels of fragmentation and contiguity, as well as site-based conservation value. In terms of threat information, the expertise available within the team as well as the map generated from the threat analysis was used as inputs to the selection of certain corridors for specified investment priorities. Some of these investment priorities originally emerged from the knowledge on the ecological and socioeconomic processes within these corridors that are likely to influence the success or failure of the suggested activities.

CEPF investment is designed to meet specific conservation targets resulting from analyses of conservation outcomes, assessment of threats and the analysis of current investments. These analyses indicate that: a) new partnerships must be created and new models of co-management developed to conserve and manage biodiversity within and outside protected areas and to enhance connectivity among highly fragmented habitats of the Western Ghats, b) civil society organizations independently and in partnership with government organizations must play an important role in conservation and building awareness about the importance of biodiversity and c) current scientific knowledge about the status and distribution of species and biodiversity-rich areas is inadequate for systematic conservation planning and protection of globally threatened species and their habitats. By emphasizing these three focal areas, CEPF can accelerate efforts that will curtail loss of biodiversity. This expanded three-dimensional niche then provides strategic directions, which in turn determine funding priorities (Table 5).

Table 5: CEPF Strategic Directions and Investment Priorities

CEPF STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS CEPF INVESTMENT PRIORITIES
1. Enable action by diverse communities and partnerships to ensure conservation of key biodiversity areas and enhance connectivity in the corridors

1.1  Test pilot models of community and private reserves to achieve conservation outcomes at priority sites and critical links in unprotected areas of the Anamalai and Malnad-Kodagu corridors as well as the Brahmagiri-Nagarhole critical link in the Mysore-Nilgiri corridor

1.2  Promote partnerships to identify, evaluate, and advocate for suitable mechanisms that incorporate critical links (biological corridors) into the protected area network in the Periyar-Agastyamalai, Mysore-Nilgiri, and Malnad-Kodagu corridors

1.3  Support civil society to establish partnerships with state agencies to implement science-based management and conservation of priority sites in the Mysore-Hilgiri corridor
2. Improve the conservation of globally threatened species through systematic conservation planning and action

2.1  Monitor and assess the conservation status of globally threatened species with an emphasis on lesser-known organisms such as reptiles and fish

2.2  Support efforts to conserve Critically Endangered and Endangered species through the creation and implementation of species recovery and management plans

2.3  Evaluate the existing protected area network for adequate globally threatened species representation and assess effectiveness of protected area types in biodiversity conservation

2.4  Support interdisciplinary efforts to analyze and disseminate biodiversity data
3. Provide strategic leadership and effective coordination of CEPF investment through a regional implementation team

3.1  Build a broad constituency of civil society groups working across institutional and political boundaries toward achieving the shared conservation goals described in the ecosystem profile

Strategic Direction 1: Enable action by diverse communities and partnerships to ensure conservation of key biodiversity areas and enhance connectivity in the corridors
The Western Ghats region forms a part of one of the most densely populated global hotspots. Much of the biodiversity on the subcontinent is on public lands that abut and even contain human settlements. Rural communities in these settlements impact biodiversity through consumptive and commercial use. Conserving biodiversity on public lands in the Western Ghats without active participation of local communities in protecting and managing biodiversity would be a difficult task. Effective institutions are key to the success of community-based initiatives. Fortunately the institutional framework exists for implementation of improvised or new models of conservation that involve local communities. There are three policy instruments that can be used to enhance conservation and restoration. First is the Joint Forest Management program that offers fiscal incentives to local communities to protect and manage regenerating forests. The inadequacy of Joint Forest Management programs largely stems from ineffective and undemocratic institutions that implement these programs. A second policy instrument that allows the transfer of power to manage natural resources to democratically elected village level institutions under the Panchayati Raj offers another option. Finally, there are new provisions contained within the Wildlife Amendment Act to create conservation and community reserves that for the first time provide legal recognition for the participation of communities and private landowners in conservation.

A number of other agencies in India, such as UNDP, the Ford Foundation, and Sir Dorabji Tata Trust are interested in developing and promoting community-based conservation models. The CEPF investments in this particular area, if coordinated with investments from these agencies, could be minimal but highly productive in terms of effectiveness. However, it is critically important that CEPF-supported activities be focused on high priority sites within corridor outcomes identified in the profile and involve comprehensive monitoring and adaptive management systems.

The engagement of civil society may also be critical in enhancing the connectivity of highly fragmented forests of the Western Ghats. Increased fragmentation poses several threats to biodiversity (Laurance et al. 2002). Connectivity among fragmented habitats can increase the ecological integrity of natural ecosystems. Corridors among fragments, or buffers of suitable habitat around biodiversity-rich areas, could potentially reduce human-wildlife conflicts that are common in this densely populated hotspot. Many protected areas are still surrounded by natural and near-natural habitats. There is thus considerable potential to enlarge existing protected areas and to restore connectivity among isolated ecological communities. Because the potential corridors are largely human dominated landscapes and in some cases privately owned, active participation of local communities and private landowners will be essential for the success of efforts designed to promote connectivity. Under CEPF, such efforts should be undertaken within the areas defined as critical links (as in Figures 6 and 7) in the Western Ghats.

Finally, new partnerships are needed to conserve and monitor biodiversity in protected areas. The management of protected areas can greatly benefit from modern concepts of conservation science that are not fully taken into account in the development of management plans. Monitoring of biodiversity in managed areas is almost non-existent. Several civil society organizations, including research institutes, have considerable expertise in concepts of conservation biology and natural resource management. Inputs provided by these organizations to the work of government agencies can greatly enhance the prospect for conservation.

1.1 Test pilot models of community and private reserves to achieve conservation outcomes at priority sites and critical links in unprotected areas of the Anamalai and Malnad-Kodagu corridors as well as the Brahmagiri-Nagarhole critical link in the Mysore-Nilgiri corridors
Many biodiversity-rich areas both inside and outside protected areas are located next to reserved forests, exotic tree plantations, private estates of coffee, tea and cardamom, or degraded habitats including abandoned mines. Some reserved forests are highly degraded and others are subject to continuous extraction of forest products and biomass. Plans to manage and restore such ecosystems for maintenance of biodiversity are generally lacking or deficient. Because these ecosystems contain substantial human populations, conservation and restoration of these ecosystems would require partnerships among government agencies and civil society, including the private sector and community-based organizations. As mentioned above, policy instruments to create such partnerships exist though lessons learned from analyses of the effectiveness of Joint Forest Management need to be adapted while developing new and more effective models.

The relatively large extent of land under coffee and tea plantations in the Malnad-Kodagu and Mysore-Nilgiri corridor areas, make them good candidates for the focus of this investment priority. Several of these plantations have remnant forest patches with considerable biodiversity value (Ajith Kumar Pers. Comm). There is also a long history of interest and involvement on the part of estate owners and companies in wildlife conservation in these areas. There is also an opportunity to link activities such as ecotourism and marketing of biodiversity/eco-friendly products originating from these regions.

Examples of the priority sites for involvement of local communities and private landowners include high conservation value reserved forest areas or private lands under plantation crops such as tea, coffee and cardamom in the Palni Hills in the Anamalai corridor. The Palni hills have several IBAs that are located outside the protected area network. In addition, there are many riparian and river stretches on private and public lands that are critical for effective conservation of aquatic fauna such as fish and amphibians. Priority sites for restoration include abandoned mine areas in Kudremukh National Park and the Bababudans as well as large areas under exotic tree plantations.

Many protected areas also have unprotected enclosures that contain human settlements. People in these settlements have a range of interactions with wild biodiversity in surrounding ecosystems. The fate of biodiversity and habitat connectivity in the Western Ghats will ultimately depend on reducing dependence on near-natural forests by increasing alternative sources of biomass on non-forest land/highly degraded lands or enabling people to develop alternate livelihoods that are not dependent upon the overharvesting of local biodiversity. New models or strengthening of existing models of participatory management must take into account lessons learnt from past experiences that have addressed incentives, social and gender equity and participatory approaches. Evaluation, monitoring and adaptive management should be an integral and critical component of such models.

Priority sites include protected areas with enclosures and resident human populations such as the Biligirirangaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary, Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary, and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary.

1.2 Promote partnerships to identify, evaluate and advocate for suitable mechanisms that incorporate critical links (biological corridors) into the protected area network in the Periyar-Agastyamalai, Mysore-Nilgiri, and Malnad-Kodagu corridors
Delineation of the existing protected areas in the Western Ghats has been conducted on an ad-hoc basis and not based on systematic conservation planning. Systematic conservation planning takes into account the representative, complementary and irreplaceable nature of habitats (Margules and Pressey, 2000). Analysis conducted for this profile indicates that many areas with significantly high levels of biodiversity lie outside the protected areas.

Although Figures 5 and 6 highlight the potential of enlarging the protected area network through acquisition or incorporation of additional land into the protected areas, detailed information about land use, including ownership, in the areas targeted as corridors is lacking. Moreover, other constraints, administrative as well as legal, to the expansion of the protected areas need to be reviewed. Fortunately, the amendment to the WPA of 1972 provides a policy framework for acquisition of some lands as corridors. WPA, 2002 calls for the creation of two new types of reserves: Conservation Reserves and Community Reserves. Conservation reserves are areas owned by the state governments adjacent to national parks and sanctuaries for the purpose of protecting the landscape. Further, it is also proposed to empower the state governments to notify any community-owned or private land as community reserves provided that the members of that community or individuals concerned are agreeable to offer such areas for protecting the fauna and flora, as well as their traditions, cultures, and practices.

Acquisition of private land for corridors will take several years. Moreover, not all habitats that can potentially enhance connectivity can be acquired. Thus immediate steps should be taken to maintain or enhance biodiversity in areas identified as corridors. In some areas in the Western Ghats, global and local market conditions have made some private estates of tea and coffee financially unviable. This process is already creating pockets of abandoned land around biodiversity-rich areas. It is essential to discourage or inhibit incompatible land-uses or conversion of these estates.

Areas that warrant immediate attention in terms of setting up mechanisms for their incorporation into the protected area network are the Kulathapuzha and Palode forest ranges, parts of the Ranni, Konni and Achankovil forest divisions, and Meghamalai in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor; New Amarambalam forest range in the Mysore-Nilgiri corridor; and Kerti, Padinalknad, Pattighat, Agumbe, Someshwara and Balahalli forest ranges in the Malnad-Kodagu corridor. Some of these areas contain highly threatened and unique communities and habitats such as the Myristica swamp forests.

Maintaining and enhancing connectivity through the establishment of reserves is important in all landscape units, especially in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai landscape, across the Shencottah Gap (Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor) as well as from Periyar to Palni Hills (between the Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor and the Anamalai corridor). In the Mysore-Nilgiri landscape, the corridor linking Mudumalai and Bandipur with BRT Wildlife Sanctuary-Cauvery Wildlife Sanctuary-Bannerghetta National Park is very important for the long-term viability of elephant populations. This landscape is also the most important area for the long-term conservation of dry forest plants and animals in the entire Western Ghats.

The Malnad-Kodagu landscape has several critical links. These include the reserve forests between Brahmagiri WLS, Pushpagiri, and Talacauvery WLS and in the central part there are critical links between Bhadra Tiger reserve, Bababudans, and Yemmododdi. In the northern part of this landscape there are a series of reserved forests along the ridge between Pushpagiri and Mookambika WLS. There is also a patch of relatively intact forest south of the Kali River, which is just across the river from the northernmost landscape corridor, the Sahyadri-Konkan.

1.3 Support civil society to establish partnerships with state agencies to implement science-based management and conservation of priority sites in the Mysore-Hilgiri corridor
The analysis of conservation outcomes indicates that there is a considerable amount of biodiversity outside protected areas, particularly in the Mysore-Nilgiri corridor. The protected areas in this corridor contain the largest viable population of the Asian elephant in the world, besides having the largest populations of other flagship species such as the tiger and the wild dog. The corridor also contains the largest extent of good deciduous forests in the Western Ghats and Sri Lanka Hotspot. This corridor has a relatively long history of high quality wildlife and NTFP research. However, there is an unfulfilled potential of applying this rich body of knowledge to the management of species and ecosystems in this region. The priority sites within this corridor also have a long tradition of involvement of local communities in participatory resource monitoring.

Many areas outside protected areas have almost as high a concentration of biodiversity as habitats inside protected areas; for instance, several IBAs have been identified outside the current protected area network in the Nilgiris. Efforts to incorporate such habitats into the protected area network should receive high priority. However, those areas that cannot be brought under protection in the foreseeable future should also be managed for enhancement or the maintenance of biodiversity. Such areas are currently subject to extensive use by civil society. Civil society organizations either independently or in partnership with government agencies should be encouraged to assume stewardship of these areas. For effective conservation of biodiversity within protected areas, civil society organizations (conservation organizations, research institutions) must work in collaboration with government agencies. A key area for collaboration is in bolstering technical capacity of government organizations to enable scientific planning and management using both traditional and current biodiversity knowledge. The best scientific and research expertise available in civil society should contribute to the management plans of biodiversity rich areas. Civil society organizations can also enhance the technical capacity of government agencies to enforce conservation laws. Moreover, NGOs can assist government agencies in developing new models for co-management.

Strategic Direction 2: Improve the conservation of globally threatened species through systematic conservation planning and action
A key problem in the region is inadequate knowledge about the distribution and status of biodiversity to effectively conserve threatened species, habitats, and ecosystems. The deficiency of information is evident from discussions regarding the IUCN Red Lists. Experts consistently pointed out during the stakeholder workshops that certain species, which merit inclusion, are not included in the list. The absence of population-level data for critically endangered species is one of the primary reasons for the lack of reliability of the IUCN list for this list.

Inadequacy of knowledge, however, does not imply that conservation actions cannot be undertaken unless and until the necessary knowledge has been documented. For example, the presence of large areas with high concentration of biodiversity outside the protected area network indicates that conservation planning has not been based on the distribution of biological diversity. Knowledge of specific ecosystem processes or species biology is not required to make important conservation decisions in such cases; the more immediate need is to identify these critical gaps in the protected area network and include them within the network. Once protection for high-biodiversity zones are in place, the in-depth examination of species and habitats can follow. Furthermore, it is important to monitor the effectiveness of the existing protected area system. There has been no systematic assessment of protected areas to determine their effectiveness in conserving species, habitats and maintaining key ecosystem processes. Degraded protected areas need to be either restored or denotified depending on their status. Assessment of the status of protected areas will provide valuable insights for conservation planning.

2.1 Monitor and assess the conservation status of globally threatened species with an emphasis on lesser-known organisms such as reptiles and fish
The IUCN list of globally threatened species forms the basis of conservation outcomes outlined in this profile. Although this list provides a starting point and constitutes an important source of information, it needs to be updated by experts on the basis of primary data collected in the field. Updating the list, however, would require a coordinated effort that should involve experts in plants, herpetofauna, fish, and invertebrates. Coordination would ensure that standardized and quantitative criteria are used. This activity should be undertaken throughout the Western Ghats.

A primary reason for the inadequacy of the IUCN list is that the population status of many species on the list has not been determined. It is important to assess the status of two Critically Endangered groups of organisms: 1) the medicinal plants that face heavy pressure from extraction and 2) the group of organisms that inhabit the forest canopy and soils. The latter includes epiphytes, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates. A species- level or taxa-based approach may not be as efficient as a habitat-based approach by a group of botanists, herpetologists and entomologists. Freshwater fish is another group that requires urgent action. This activity should be undertaken in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor, the Anamalai corridor, the Mysore-Nilgiri corridor, the Malnad-Kodagu corridor, and the Sahyadri-Konkan corridor, in that order of priority, both within and outside protected areas.

Population assessments for economically useful plants must include surveys of genetic diversity. This group again covers a number of medicinal plant species and several non-timber forest product species. There are at least 100 species of medicinal plants listed as Critically Endangered by the Foundation for the Revitalization of Local Health Traditions. The NTFP species form the core of local economies for many, generally impoverished communities. NTFP species in India have a long history of heavy extraction. The impact of this extraction on genetic diversity of populations remains largely unexplored. An assessment of the spatial distribution of genetic diversity of key species with different life history attributes is urgently required with a view to incorporate population-genetic data into conservation planning.

Funding for genetic surveys should focus on the following globally endangered and vulnerable species of trees and medicinal plants: Ampelocissus araneosa, Artocarpus hirsutus, Calophyllum apetalum, Cinnamomum macrocarpum, Cinnamomum sulphuratum, Curcuma pseudomontana, Diospyros candolleana, Diospyros paniculata, Dysoxylum malabaricum Garcinia indica, Garcinia gummifera, Hydnocarpus pentandra, Kingiodendron pinnatum, Michelia nilagirica, Myristica malabarica, Ochreinauclea missionis, Pterocarpus santalinius, Swertia lawii and Vateria indica.

2.2 Support efforts to conserve Critically Endangered and Endangered species through the creation and implementation of species recovery and management plans
There are 203 species in the Western Ghats that are listed as Critically Endangered or Endangered by IUCN. The populations of such species have declined considerably and there is a real possibility that many of these species will become extinct unless adequate conservation measures are taken. Such conservation measures would include the development of species recovery and management plans. The work supported under 3.1 would also produce a list of species that require immediate attention. CEPF investments could support further work on the recovery and management plans for these species as well.

2.3 Evaluate the existing protected area network for adequate globally threatened species representation and assess the effectiveness of types of protected areas in biodiversity conservation
Delineation of the existing protected areas in the Western Ghats has not been based on systematic conservation planning. Many of the protected areas have been so designated on an ad hoc basis. Systematic conservation planning takes into account the representativeness, complementarity and irreplaceability of habitats. Analysis conducted for this profile indicates that many areas with significantly high levels of biodiversity lie outside the protected area network. The representativeness of the protected area network within the Western Ghats should therefore be quantitatively assessed. This would necessitate an analysis of the distribution of species and ecosystems throughout the Western Ghats. Gap analysis should be coupled with a feasibility study to examine the possibility of incorporating additional areas into the protected areas network. Analysis conducted for this profile has already identified certain landscapes that warrant immediate attention in terms of protection. These are: the Kulathapuzha-Palode Forest Ranges, parts of the Ranni, Konni and Achankovil Forest Divisions and proposed Meghamalai Wildlife Sanctuary in the Periyar-Agasthyamalai corridor; Palni Hills and part of Mankulam range in the Anamalai corridor; New Amarambalam RF in the Mysore-Nilgiri corridor; Kerti, Padinalknad, Pattighat, Agumbe, Someshwara and Balahalli RFs in the Malnad-Kodagu corridor; and Amboli forest in the Sahyadri-Konkan corridor. Some of these areas contain highly threatened and unique communities and habitats such as the Myristica swamp forests and Ochlandra reeds.

In addition to identifying gaps, a rational framework for assessing the success or failure of different categories of protected areas and conservation projects is also required. An assessment of the effectiveness of the two protected areas with the highest conservation values in each of the corridors is recommended. Determination of the causes of success or failure of these protected areas would provide government agencies with the information required to make appropriate changes in approaches and management. The protected areas with the highest conservation value in each of the corridors are as follows: Periyar-Agastyamalai- Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve and Peppara Wildlife Sanctuary; Anamalai- Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and Indira Gandhi National Park; Mysore-Nilgiri- Bandipur Tiger Reserve and Wayanad Wildlife Sanctuary; Malnad-Kodagu-Kudremukh National Park and Pushpagiri Wildlife Sanctuary; Sahyadri-Konkan-Anshi National Park, and Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary.

2.4 Support interdisciplinary efforts to analyze and disseminate biodiversity data
A number of organizations, governmental as well as nongovernmental, are collecting and collating considerable information about the distribution of species, ecosystems, and landscapes in India. There is also a vast amount of information available about other aspects of biodiversity such as images of species and ecosystems, uses of plants, threats to biodiversity and institutions involved in biodiversity conservation. If such information were readily available, it could benefit efforts to conserve biodiversity and involve civil society in conservation. A recently held Indo-U.S. workshop on biodiversity informatics recommended the establishment of a national committee to procure a server and software to initiate a comprehensive program of collating and organizing biodiversity databases. With relatively little investment, such efforts could receive a boost and pay huge dividends.

The geographic focus of this activity should be extended to the entire Western Ghats, however CEPF should not support more than one such effort and funding should be contingent upon such databases being made publicly available within one year of the implementation of this activity.

Strategic Direction 3: Provide strategic leadership and effective coordination of CEPF investment through a regional implementation team
An independent evaluation of the global CEPF program found that CEPF regional implementation teams are particularly effective with the support of the CEPF grant directors in linking the key elements of comprehensive, vertically integrated portfolios such as large anchor projects, smaller grassroots activities, policy initiatives, governmental collaboration, and sustainable financing. As recommended by the evaluators, the responsibilities of these teams, formerly known as coordination units, have now been standardized to capture the most important aspects of their function.

In every hotspot, CEPF will support a regional implementation team to convert the plans in the ecosystem profile into a cohesive portfolio of grants that exceed in impact the sum of their parts. Each regional implementation team will consist of one or more civil society organizations active in conservation in the region. For example, a team could be a partnership of civil society groups or could be a lead organization with a formal plan to engage others in overseeing implementation, such as through an inclusive advisory committee.

The regional implementation team will be selected by the CEPF Donor Council based on an approved terms of reference, competitive process, and selection criteria available in PDF format at www.cepf.net/xp/cepf/static/pdfs/Final.CEPF.RIT.TOR_Selection.pdf (PDF, 45 KB). The team will operate in a transparent and open manner, consistent with the CEPF mission and all provisions of the CEPF Operational Manual. Organizations that are members of the Regional Implementation Team will not be eligible to apply for other CEPF grants within the same hotspot. Applications from formal affiliates of those organizations that have an independent operating board of directors will be accepted, and subject to additional external review.

3.1 Build a broad constituency of civil society groups working across institutional and political boundaries toward achieving the shared conservation goals described in the ecosystem profileThe regional implementation team will provide strategic leadership and local knowledge to build a broad constituency of civil society groups working across institutional and geographic boundaries toward achieving the conservation goals described in the ecosystem profile. The team’s major functions and specific activities will be based on an approved terms of reference. Major functions of the team will be to:

Specific activities and further details are available in the CEPF Regional Implementation Team Terms of Reference and Selection Process.

Sustainability
Sustainability of any program requires long-term financial and institutional commitment. Conservation trusts are often viewed as mechanisms for financial sustainability. Although it will be desirable to establish a conservation trust fund in the long run, CEPF investments should be used to promote institutional and public commitment to sustainability. The foundation of sustainability in the CEPF context should be the adoption and dissemination of sound and effective plans by active civil society engagement. By empowering individuals and institutions to engage in best conservation practices, CEPF will help catalyze a new wave of effective conservation in the Western Ghats.

The Western Ghats region, because of its strong traditions and faith in democratic institutions and belief in free communication, offers the ideal setting for adoption and implementation of new ideas. In this particular case, there is already a general acceptance of the key concepts and Strategic Directions outlined in the profile by citizens as well as conservation organizations in the Western Ghats region. Furthermore, a number of institutions in the region are already involved in promoting the goals of this profile. These activities, if strengthened and expanded through CEPF investments, would go a long way to sustain the objectives of the profile.

Finally, the extraordinarily large and competent human resources of the region will enhance sustainability. A motivated, educated public and strong civil society organizations can provide staff for research and enforcement as well as policy directives needed to establish and maintain protection for species and habitats. If CEPF investment is to have long-term impact, such activities are particularly essential, given the large biodiversity-rich areas in currently unprotected lands. Although expansion of protected areas and establishment of corridors are important goals, in the long term it is unrealistic to expect all critical habitats to be placed under the umbrella of government-sponsored protected areas. Thus, it is imperative to develop new management models, bolster civil society capacity to mitigate threats and support government-led initiatives in conservation efforts within and beyond reserves.

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