In few places on Earth does nature sustain so many people as in the Eastern Himalayas.
Spanning the mountains and watersheds of Bhutan, Nepal, Bangladesh and parts of northeast India, this area contains the highest peaks on Earth. Its glaciers are often referred to as the "third pole" — the largest reservoir of fresh water outside Greenland and Antarctica.
The rivers born here — the mighty Brahmaputra, the Ganges and their lesser-known but equally vital tributaries — are arteries of civilization, sustaining over a billion people. As these waterways flow south to the Indian Ocean, they pass through alpine tundra, mountain forests, open plains and coastal mangroves — habitats for snow leopards, red pandas, Bengal tigers, Asian elephants and the elusive one-horned rhino.
Each of these diverse ecosystems is connected by the flow of water. Changes in one, especially those upstream, have cascading effects on the others. And massive change is sweeping through the Eastern Himalayas, with far-reaching consequences for people and nature.
Threats
The Eastern Himalayas are one of the world’s fastest-warming places due to climate change. As glaciers recede and monsoon seasons shift, rivers are becoming erratic, with some drying up and others facing more frequent and severe floods. Bangladesh, Nepal and India all rank among the most climate vulnerable countries globally, with 60 percent of Bangladesh’s population and 80 percent of India’s living in high climate exposure areas. In 2022, a staggering 1.5 million people in the region were displaced by extreme weather events.
Since 2000, the Eastern Himalayan region has lost nearly one-tenth of its forest cover, leading to soil erosion, poor water quality and frequent landslides — causing loss of life and property and further degrading the land and water.
Conserving 1 million hectares of forest
Mountains to Mangrovessm 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 experienced environmental and social organizations in the region and supported by Conservation International, this initiative seeks to protect and restore 1 million hectares of forest spread across some of the most rugged, mountainous countries on Earth.
By 2030, this joint initiative will:
1B
TREES
Plant 1 billion trees across the Eastern Himalayas
1M
HECTARES
Protect and restore 1 million hectares of land from mountains to mangroves
1B
PEOPLE
Indirectly benefit around 1 billion people who depend on this connected ecosystem
1B
US DOLLARS
Mobilize US $1 billion dollars to support this work from public, private and philanthropic sources
While the world understands the urgent plight of the Amazon and Congo Basin, the Eastern Himalayas — one of the most climate-vulnerable regions on Earth — often goes overlooked. Mountains to Mangroves aims to change that by raising global awareness of its ecological importance and working with communities in India, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal to conserve the nature they depend on to thrive.
Supporting one billion livelihoods
Following the announcement of the initiative in 2023, Conservation International and partners have rapidly scaled the work of communities across the region to restore lost ecosystems and promote sustainable livelihoods – including agroforestry, conservation training and careers, and more — using proven local methods. In this first phase, partners will protect and restore nearly 60,000 hectares of forests and mangroves from the valleys of Bhutan to the floodplains of Bangladesh — improving well-being for ecosystems, people and wildlife in the region.
Supported by Conservation International’s Moore Center for Science, Mountains to Mangroves is a pioneering science initiative: By monitoring changes in forest health, biodiversity, livelihoods and local climate, scientists will track the impact of restoration efforts over time — helping partners better protect nature and the communities that rely on it.
Our implementation partners
ATREE (Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment): ATREE is a nonprofit organization that generates interdisciplinary knowledge to inform conservation policy and practice. ATREE have begun vital work with Mountains to Mangroves to conserve land under threat and restore degraded land, focusing initially in the Sikkim, Kalimpong and Darjeeling districts of West Bengal, India.
Bhutan Ecological Society: Bhutan Ecological Society is a nonprofit organization that connects science, business and policy, with the goal of building and sustaining resilient communities and functional landscapes. Bhutan Ecological Society has been restoring land across Bhutan, establishing state-of-the-art nurseries to produce upwards of 1 million saplings per year to scale this work in the future.
Bhutan Trust for Environmental Conservation: The Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation (BTF) is the world’s first environmental trust fund, established in 1991 as a collaborative venture between Royal Government of Bhutan, United Nations Development Program, and WWF. BTF plants native tree saplings in degraded forest areas, including primary forest and private land. They have also worked on a plantation program with schools and are establishing nurseries to accelerate restoration.
Friendship: Friendship is an international social purpose organization guided by a vision of a world where people — especially the hard-to-reach and unaddressed — have equal opportunities to live with dignity and hope. Friendship have been planting mangrove forests in the Sundarbans, Bangladesh, while enhancing the livelihoods of nearby communities who will support the forests for years to come.
TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute): TERI is an independent, multi-dimensional organization, with capabilities in research, policy, consultancy and implementation. As part of Mountains to Mangroves, TERI will promote agroforestry plantation, regenerative agricultural practices, and forest conservation activities, beginning in Assam and Nagaland. This effort will also be registered with Voluntary Carbon Markets so that the carbon benefits can be shared with the community and ensure their sustainability.
Red Panda Network is a leading conservation organization dedicated to protecting red pandas and their Himalayan habitat through community-driven initiatives. Since 2007, RPN has worked with local communities in Nepal to restore forests, combat poaching, and promote sustainable livelihoods across 50% of Nepal’s red panda range.
As part of Mountains to Mangroves, RPN is conserving 30,000 hectares of forest and restoring 500 hectares of habitat in Koshi Province, Nepal. This includes planting 800,000 native trees, creating water sources for wildlife, and supporting 35,000+ people with green jobs – ensuring a future for red pandas and their ecosystems.
Restore Bhutan
Conservation International has partnered with the Royal Government of Bhutan, Bhutan Trust Fund for Environmental Conservation, and Bhutan Ecological Society to advance nature restoration and conservation under the Mountains to Mangroves initiative, contributing to Bhutan's national priorities for climate resilience, biodiversity protection, and sustainable development. This partnership is now embarking on its mission: Restore Bhutan.
Read our Impact Report
One year ago, Conservation International, alongside our dedicated partners, set out to achieve an extraordinary vision: planting one billion trees and restoring one million hectares of forest in the Eastern Himalayas. Today, that vision is taking root. Explore our Mountains to Mangroves 2024 Impact Report to uncover the groundbreaking strides we’ve made this year and discover our bold roadmap for creating lasting, transformative change by 2030.
Donate
Nature is an essential part of life for people across the Eastern Himalayas. Will you make a generous donation to support our critical work like Mountains to Mangroves?