GSLP Publications
Sustainable economies and biodiversity conservation in snow leopard landscapes
Statement of Concern on Snow Leopard Red List Status
Meeting Notes Population Assessment
General guidelines for snow leopard landscape management planning
These snow leopard populations and landscapes to be secured under GSLEP are relatively large (range: 5,000 to 92,000 km2), and many of these share borders with neighbouring countries.
Snow leopard landscapes include many features that require the development of special management plans for effective and integrative conservation and economic development:
| The landscapes include Protected Areas as well as large tracts of habitat that lie outside PAs in multiple-use zones. |
| Snow leopards are landscape species and their populations will not be effectively conserved unless conservation efforts take place beyond PA boundaries. |
| Snow leopard landscapes provide essential ecosystem services,including clean water for a third of world’s human population from the riversthat originate here and therefore, conservation efforts cannot be restricted to within PA boundaries. |
| Snow leopards and associated biodiversity continue to co-exist with local human communities who have rich and unique pastoral cultures and ways of life. |
General guidelines for snow leopard landscape management planning
The Bishkek Declaration on the Conservation of Snow Leopards
Shenzhen Consensus
Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program
The Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) seeks to address high-mountain development issues using the conservation of the charismatic and endangered snow leopard as a flagship.
This iconic and culturally treasured great cat is a good indicator species as it quickly reacts to habitat disturbance and its successful conservation requires sustainable longterm systemic solutions to the threats impacting the quality of habitats.
The GSLEP is a range-wide effort that unites range country governments, nongovernmental and inter-governmental organizations, local communities, and the private sector around a shared vision to conserve snow leopards and their valuable high-mountain ecosystems.
Our mission:
The snow leopard range countries and partners unanimously agree to the shared goal of the GSLEP for the 7 years through 2020. The snow leopard range countries agree, with support from interested organizations, to work together to identify and secure at least 20 snow leopard landscapes across the cat’s range by 2020 or, in shorthand – “Secure 20 by 2020.”
Secure snow leopard landscapes are defined as those that contain at least 100 breeding age snow leopards conserved with the involvement of local communities, support adequate and secure prey populations, and have functional connectivity to other snow leopard landscapes, some of which cross international boundaries.
“Secure 20 by 2020” will lay the foundation to reach the ultimate goal: ensuring that snow leopards remain the living icon of mountains of Asia for generations to come.
The foundation of the GSLEP is 12 individual National Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Priorities (NSLEPs). After a process of sharing knowledge and known good practices and developing a common vision, the NSLEPs were developed to incorporate a set of priority, concrete project activities to be implemented to meet national goals and, collectively, the overarching global goal.
Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program
General Guidelines for Management Planning of Snow Leopard Landscapes – Revised 2018
Global Snow Leopard & Ecosystem Protection Program Action Planning, Leadership and Capacity Development Workshop Report, June 2014
Report on progress made an the GSLEP Action Planning, Leadership and Capacity Development Workshop IN Issik-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, in June 2014.
Officials and experts from the snow leopard range countries came together to identify 20 mountain landscapes across Asia to be protected through intensive conservation efforts and green economic growth over the next 6 years. The delegates gathered at the pristine Lake Issyk‐Kul in the lap of the Kyrgyz Tien Shan Mountains.
This was a follow up to the Global Snow Leopard Conservation Forum held in October 2013, under the leadership of Almazbek Atambaev, President of the Kyrgyz Republic.
The workshop was the first followup collective action by the range countries and partners after adopting the Bishkek Declaration and endorsing the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Protection (GSLEP) Program during the Forum.
The countries agreed to develop landscape management plans to guide action to help conserve biodiversity and ecosystem services, while enabling inclusive economic growth in these mountain landscapes. A third of humanity depends on clean water and other ecosystem services provided by the snow leopard mountains of Asia.
Addendum 1: Strategic Management Planning in Snow Leopard Landscapes
Addendum 2: Participation in Conservation
Addendum 3: Stakeholder Analysis in Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning
Addendum 4: Integrated Management and Governance of GSLEP Landscapes
Addendum 6: Incorporating Climate Change in Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning
Addendum 8: Green Resilient Economic Development in Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning
Addendum 5: Best Practices in Snow Leopard Conservation
Addendum 7: Mapping to Support Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning
Kathmandu Resolution
Logistics Note, 2nd GSLEP Steering Committee Meeting, January 2017, Kathmandu, Nepal
Capacity Building Workshops on Climate-smart Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning and Mapping
The first workshop (April 20 – 23, 2016) was dedicated to management planning. Its fundamental objectives were to share knowledge and build capacity of snow leopard range countries for management planning of GSLEP landscapes.
The second workshop (April 25 – 27, 2016) was focused on coordinating geospatial mapping across the snow leopard range. The objectives of the second workshop were to coordinate among field scientists and mapping experts to develop a standardized approach to address key spatial planning needs in GSLEP landscapes, build a standard vision for maps to support the key spatial planning needs in GSLEP landscapes, assess data availability and gaps to support the mapping and explore mechanisms for information sharing and communication.
Kindly use the ‘Download’ button on the right pane for a pdf of the workshop report.
Regional Enforcement Strategy to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade in Central Asia 2015-2018
In September 2015 the first ever regional workshop focused on combating illegal wildlife trade in Central Asia was held in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek. The workshop brought together representatives of environmental and law enforcement agencies and international conservation organizations from across the region, including Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The workshop was supported by INTERPOL, UNDP, the Snow Leopard Trust, and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystems Protection Program (GSLEP).
A key outcome of the workshop was agreement among all agencies to implement a Regional Enforcement Strategy to Combat Illegal Wildlife Trade in Central Asia and establish the Snow Leopard and Wildlife Enforcement Network (SLAWEN).
The strategy provides a high-level overview of SLAWEN’s strategic direction and key areas of focus for the period 2015-2018. It will take effect on 23 October 2015, in acknowledgement of International Snow Leopard Day, and be reviewed annually.
Draft Agenda – Capacity Building Workshop for Snow Leopard Landscape Management Planning and Mapping
Report of the first GSLEP Steering Committee Meeting
The first steering committee meeting of the GSLEP program was held on 19-20 March 2015 amidst the Tien Shan Mountains at Jannat Resort, village Koi-Tash, Kyrgyz Republic.
This report offers a transcripted summary of the meeting deliberations. The meeting was hosted by the State Agency of Environmental Protection and Forestry of the Government of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Secretariat, and co-sponsored and co-organized by partners (Global Environment Facility, NABU, Snow Leopard Trust, UNDP, and WWF).
This was the first meeting of the high level steering committee after the adoption of the Declaration on Snow Leopard and the Global Snow Leopard and Ecosystem Protection Program (GSLEP) at the Snow Leopard Conservation Forum in Bishkek under the leadership of H.E. President Atambaev in October 2013. Range countries presented progress till date, finalized the resolution and discussed the terms and conditions of the Steering Committee before electing a Chair and co-Chair.
The workshop was attended by 77 people including the Honorable Tayirbek Sarpashev, First Vice Prime Minister of Kyrgyz Republic, Mr. Sabir Atadjanov, Director of State Agency of Environment and Forest from Kyrgyzstan, the Honorable Mushahid Ullah Khan Minister of Climate Change from Pakistan, the Honorable Lyonpo Jigme Zangpo Speaker to the National Assembly of Bhutan, representatives from 11 out of the 12 range countries, and representatives from various national and international organizations.