Gangtok’s LBSAP Emphasises Climate-Smart Development and Biodiversity Conservation

The city corporation of Gangtok has accepted the Local Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (LBSAP) developed by ICLEI South Asia under the INTERACT-Bio project, which is supported by the Federal Ministry for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, Germany.

The LBSAP envisions a prosperous Gangtok that focuses on climate-smart development, while ensuring the conservation of its cultural and ecological heritage. The city has also identified five focus areas: maintenance of forests and the ecosystem services they provide; promotion of urban agriculture for food security; maintenance and expansion of green spaces and avenue plantations; conservation of water resources; and awareness raising and capacity building. The LBSAP suggests both soft and hard measures to address the issues being faced in each of these focus areas.