In the Himalayas, rivers begin as snowmelt trickling down slopes, gathering strength as they carve valleys and sustain life far below. These waters connect mountains to mangroves, feeding forests — and millions of people.
But today, this lifeline is under threat. Glaciers are melting. Forests are disappearing. Downstream, communities face floods, droughts and uncertainty.
Can this region respond to climate change and nature loss before it’s too late?
Mountains to Mangroves is one of the largest reforestation and conservation projects in the history of South Asia, created as an urgent response to climate change and nature loss. Led by a multitude of experienced environmental and social organizations in the region and supported by Conservation International, this initiative has an ambitious goal: to plant 1 billion trees and restore 1 million hectares of forest across Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of eastern India. These are some of the most rugged and mountainous landscapes on Earth — and home to 12 percent of the world’s biodiversity.
Working with local partners and Indigenous communities, we are planting trees on fragile slopes, protecting rivers and reviving mangroves that shield coasts from storms and store vast amounts of potentially planet-warming carbon.
Since the project began just over a year ago, we’ve helped to plant more than half a million new trees across some 500 hectares of land, benefiting nearly 5,000 people.
Miles downstream in the Sundarbans — the world’s largest mangrove forest — we are protecting wetlands that absorb up to five times more carbon than tropical forests and that provide nurseries for fish that feed millions.
Like Himalayan snowmelt turning into rivers, the project’s impacts are beginning to be felt — and the communities doing the hard work of restoring nature are being heard.
Have you ever experienced a forest disappear right in front of your eyes? I have, and that experience changed me forever. The moment I felt the effects of deforestation, I started to advocate for sustainable development.”
As part of the “Stories from Mountains to Mangroves” is 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, aiming to inspire more support — and a critical mass of environmental awareness in a region in need of it.
With your support, we are helping protect the systems that sustain life in this corner of the world — for people, for wildlife, for generations to come.
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Sustaining Life on Earth
Conservation International protects and restores priceless ecosystems, while creating opportunity for all. Learn more about our plan for this decisive decade.
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