Conservation International Launches ‘Mountains to Mangroves’ Initiative in Partnership with Eastern Himalayas Communities

• Hundreds of thousands of trees have been planted by communities across the Eastern Himalayas to launch the historic Mountains to Mangroves reforestation and restoration effort.
• Landmark campaign ‘Stories from Mountains to Mangroves’  launches today to share the stories of people from this region who are protecting nature for the benefit of the planet.

ARLINGTON, Va. (Oct. 29, 2024) – Conservation International today announces Mountains to Mangroves – an initiative that will unite the global environmental NGO with local organisations throughout the Eastern Himalayas to protect and restore forests in this critically important region. One year ago, Conservation International stood with partners to launch an ambitious goal to plant one billion trees and restore one million hectares of forest, to support an ecosystem that is home to 12% of the world’s biodiversity. Significant progress has been made since then. Conservation International has mobilized an initial $9 million to support the work, while communities and organizations across the Eastern Himalayas have worked rapidly to plant the first 300,000 trees, with millions more planned in the years ahead. Mountains to Mangroves – Conservation International’s Partnership with the People of the Eastern Himalayas – will now deliver this goal.

The five initial partners supporting delivery of the Mountains to Mangroves initiative span Bhutan, Bangladesh, India and Nepal, a region that is home to 12% of the world’s biodiversity. They are the Energy and Resources Institute, the Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment, Friendship NGO, Bhutan Ecological Society and the Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, with more set to join soon. As the global science and impact partner, Conservation International supports the group’s ambitious science and financing plans for this historic effort.

These partners have been working together since India’s historic hosting of the G20 Summit on plans to restore lost ecosystems across the Eastern Himalayan region using proven local methods. The first portfolio of on-the-ground projects from the Mountains to Mangroves effort will see these partner NGOs work with local communities and authorities to protect and restore nearly 60,000 hectares of forests and mangroves from the valleys of Bhutan through to the northern fringes of the Sundarbans in Bangladesh, planting 20 million trees. A community-led approach to restoration will promote sustainable livelihoods through agroforestry and employment training in conservation. This work is further underpinned by a landmark science agenda, led by the Betty and Gordon Moore Centre for Science at Conservation International, to evaluate improvements in the quality of land and water; measure biodiversity change; monitor the impact on local livelihoods, and track progress for both nature and people across the whole region at every stage.

Conservation International has set the ambitious target to mobilize transformational finance of up to $1 billion USD for the Mountains to Mangroves initiative in order to plant 1 billion trees and protect and restore 1 million hectares of land across the Eastern Himalayas by 2030. Together, these major new partnerships bring vital finance, support, and global recognition towards this effort. This initial phase will provide the platform for many more hectares to be protected and restored later this decade.

To highlight the restoration work taking place on the ground and to bring vital attention to this region, 'Stories from Mountains to Mangroves’ launches today – a new community led campaign featuring the perspectives of diverse people from across the region, sharing their personal stories around restoring nature and protecting their communities. Kick-started by a new short film, “The world’s greatest untold story," this campaign will highlight the environmental significance of the Eastern Himalayas and demonstrate the benefit of people working in harmony with nature, across generations and across borders, in a way that has never been seen before. The campaign will continue with multiple short social media stories developed by people in the region that will be shared across partner content channels and featured at global climate events, including COP16, to bring attention to this historic restoration effort.

The Eastern Himalayas is a connected ecosystem and an environmental and societal asset of global importance. It is home to the world’s tallest mountains; two mighty rivers; the world’s largest mangrove forest; and one twelfth of all biodiversity on the planet. But it is under critical threat. Since 2000, this region has experienced significant deforestation, losing over 9.5% of its green cover. By 2050, the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development predicts the region could warm by up to 2.9°C, leading to the loss of up to one-third of its glaciers by the end of the century. Such changes bring devastating consequences for both people and nature, as seen in 2022, when extreme weather events displaced millions of people across the region. The Mountains to Mangroves initiative is an urgent response to the shared challenges of climate change and biodiversity loss, through which local conservationists are joining together to protect the extraordinary region they call home.

Daniela Raik, Executive Vice President at Conservation International, said: “Planting the first trees under the Mountains to Mangroves initiative is a moment for celebration across the Eastern Himalayas, and the world. The people and species that live in the Eastern Himalayas are some of the most climate vulnerable on our planet, threatened by melting glaciers, rising sea levels, and ever more frequent and more violent storms. We know that restoring nature in harmony with sustainable livelihoods can bring health and prosperity to people and the planet. The deep knowledge of people from this region guides the work to restore what has been lost, and safeguards the future of this region for the world on a breathtaking scale. This is a hugely ambitious effort and we are grateful to our partners for their vital support.”

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About Conservation International: Conservation International protects nature for the benefit of humanity. Through science, policy, fieldwork and finance, we spotlight and secure the most important places in nature for the climate, for biodiversity and for people. With offices in 30 countries and projects in more than 100 countries, Conservation International partners with governments, companies, civil society, Indigenous peoples and local communities to help people and nature thrive together. Visit Conservation.org for more, and follow us on Conservation News, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram and YouTube.