News: The standing committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) has recommended approval for 12 key defence projects in Ladakh across Changthang Cold Desert Sanctuary and Karakoram Wildlife Sanctuary.
About Changthang Cold Desert Wildlife Sanctuary
- Location: It is located at the Ladakhi Changthang plateau in the Leh district of Ladakh.
- Established: 1987
- Area: It covers an area of almost 1,600 sq. km.
- It is home to the highest altitude water lakes, namely, Tso Moriri (which also happens to be the highest lake on earth), Pangong Tso and Tso Kar and Korzok village (considered to be the world’s highest village).
- The indigenous Changpa nomadic tribe coexists with the region’s fragile ecosystem for centuries
- Fauna: It is home to large carnivores such as the Snow leopard, Himalayan grey wolf and Lynx.
- The region also supports six species of wild ungulates: Blue sheep, Tibetan argali, Kiang, Tibetan gazelle, Tibetan antelope, and Wild yak.
- Additionally, species such as the Himalayan marmot, woolly hare, Tibetan snowcock, and Chukar thrive in the region.
- It also serves as the only known breeding site in India for the Black-necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) and Bar-headed Goose (Anser indicus).
- Around 44 types of water birds and seasonal species of migratory birds such as the black-necked crane, bar-headed goose, Brahminy duck, Lammergeier, and brown-headed gulls are found here.
- Flora: It is home to almost 200 species of wild plants.
- Cold-resistant grasses like Stipa and Kobresia along with cushion herbs like thyme grow in the arid habitat of the Changthang plateau.
- The sparse vegetation covers less than 10% of the rolling steppes and mountain slopes.
