Habitat suitability data for the Himalayan black bear

The Hindu Kush Himalayan region (HKH) is an important biodiversity hotspot with more than 488 protected areas covering 39% of the region's geographical coverage. A majority of the protected areas are small and isolated and are not large enough to address conservation challenges. Only about 20% of the protected areas are transboundary in nature. There is limited data available on habitat suitability for conservation planning and landscape management in the Far Eastern Himalayan Landscape. A study carried out under the Landscape Initiative for Far Eastern Himalayas (HI-LIFE) Initiative at ICIMOD, estimates habitat suitability for the Himalayan black bear in the Far Eastern Himalayas using remote sensing and geographic information system tools, and available secondary information.