GSLEP Partner Projects
Projects from various funding partners supporting the GSLEP program
The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) was established by the 12 snow leopard range countries to help achieve the goals of the Bishkek Declaration. The program also brings together multilateral agencies, NGOs, funding agencies and conservationists as partners on a single platform. Since the inception of the GSLEP program, several projects have been developed and are being implemented within and across snow leopard range countries to support activities that were highlighted as priorities in the Bishkek Declaration. Here we list some of the important projects that have so far supported the GSLEP program’s operations as well as its implementation in the range countries.
GEF Global Project
A regional initiative to advance transboundary cooperation in snow leopard range countries was funded by GEF and implemented by the Snow Leopard Trust and the GSLEP Secretariat in close collaboration with UNDP and a consortium of national and international GSLEP partners. The project, launched in 2016, included a focus on strengthening transboundary conservation of snow leopard ecosystems by addressing drivers of existing and emerging threats with a focus on Central Asia.
Vanishing Treasures
The UN Environment Program Vanishing Treasures programme works to better understand the direct impacts of climate change on snow leopards and their prey species, as well as current and possible future vulnerabilities and responses of local communities to climate change.
GEF Star Projects
GEF has a long history of supporting conservation of the snow leopard (Panthera uncia) and its habitat, having approved 24 total projects and invested nearly USD $100 million toward UNDP-implemented projects in all 12 range countries since 1991. A series of projects emerging since the Global Forum in 2013 were funded by GEF, representing an investment of about $45 million to support snow leopard range countries in meeting their national targets toward achieving GSLEP objectives. These eight projects leveraged over $200 million in co-financing from national and international partners.
Asia High Mountains
The Conservation and Adaptation in Asia’s High Mountain Landscapes and Communities Project, implemented by WWF was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The overall goal of the AHM Project was to galvanize greater understanding and action at local, national and regional levels across the snow leopard range states to conserve this iconic and endangered species, and to connect snow leopard conservation to a broader set of environmental, economic, and social issues with consequences for Asia’s future sustainability, namely local livelihoods, water and food security, and climate change adaptation.