Nature Conservation Foundation
NCF and the Snow Leopard Trust work together in India’s high altitudes, striving to help conserve the snow leopard – as well as the diversity of life & landscapes that this beautiful cat symbolizes – in a scientifically robust and socially responsible manner. We combine research, community involvement, conservation education, and policy-level dimensions
Over the past decade, we have worked with the herding communities in Changthang to minimise losses they incur from negative interactions with wildlife and due to extreme winter. Efforts to secure community-held pastures and keep them free from grazing were also made. Community-led measures like the livestock security programme to help secure livelihood were introduced and scaled up. NCF remains committed to sustaining this effort to ensure responsible livestock rearing remains the predominant form of land use in Changthang. This could help conserve the high-altitude plateau of Changthang and ensure continuity of vital ecosystem services it provides. We are now working with various partners in the local cashmere sector to create an identity for Ladakh Pashmina as a sustainably produced fiber that can bring equitable benefits to those working along the value chain and attract responsible buyers.