Himalayan Yak Herders from Nepal, India and Bhutan to Launch First Regional Network

Kathmandu, October 19: Yak herders from Bhutan, India and Nepal will formally launch the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network on October 23 at Bhutan’s 9th Royal Highland Festival, establishing the first regional platform dedicated to yak herding communities across the Himalaya.

The festival will take place on October 23 and 24 in Laya, Gasa District, Bhutan. The network’s launch ceremony is scheduled for 12:00 noon Bhutan Standard Time on October 23. His Majesty the King of Bhutan and the Prime Minister of Bhutan are expected to attend the festival.

The network aims to strengthen collective advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity development and cross-border cooperation among yak herding communities. It will be owned and led by yak herders, with Bhutan hosting its secretariat.

The participating organizations will include the Bhutan Yak Federation, the Yak and Chauri Farmers Federation Nepal, and the Yak Federation of India. Government representatives from the three countries, researchers, development partners and other stakeholders are also expected to participate.

Addressing Growing Challenges in the Himalaya

Yak herding plays a vital role in sustaining livelihoods, preserving cultural traditions and supporting mountain economies across the Himalayan region. However, herding communities are increasingly affected by declining yak populations, shrinking and degraded rangelands, climate change, wildlife depredation, loss of genetic diversity, limited access to markets and services, and the migration of young people from highland areas.

As these challenges transcend national borders, the new network aims to promote regional solutions and strengthen the resilience of yak-dependent communities.

Through collective advocacy, knowledge sharing and capacity building, the network will work to support sustainable livelihoods, conserve healthy rangelands and protect yak genetic resources.

Nearly a Decade of Regional Cooperation

The idea of establishing a regional yak herders’ network emerged in 2016, when herders, researchers and government representatives from Bhutan, India and Nepal began working together through the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD)’s Kangchenjunga Landscape Conservation and Development Initiative.

In 2018, representatives attended the Arctic Frontiers conference in Norway, where they engaged with the Association of World Reindeer Herders. The organization’s herder-led, cross-border model inspired efforts to establish a similar platform for Himalayan yak herders.

The three countries subsequently agreed to establish strong national federations before creating a regional network. The national federations were formalized in Bhutan in 2022, Nepal in 2023 and India in 2025.

In 2025, federation leaders and government representatives formally committed to establishing the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network at the 10th Sustainable Animal Agriculture for Developing Countries (SAADC) conference in Vietnam.

The launch at the Royal Highland Festival marks the culmination of nearly a decade of collaboration among yak herding communities and their partners.

Rangelands and Yak Herding: Key Figures

Rangelands cover more than 60 percent of the land area of the Hindu Kush Himalaya (HKH) and provide essential livelihood and subsistence resources for an estimated 25–30 million Indigenous and culturally diverse people.

According to Nepal’s National Sample Census of Agriculture 2021/22, an estimated 53,195 yaks, naks and chauris were kept by 9,899 agricultural holdings.

India had approximately 58,000 yaks, according to its 20th Livestock Census in 2019. The Yak Federation of India reported in 2026 that approximately 32,000 yaks were kept by members of 526 households affiliated with the federation.

Bhutan had 29,432 yaks across 746 households in 2024, according to the country’s National Statistics Bureau. Yak herding contributes approximately four percent of Bhutan’s livestock products.

In Nepal’s Karnali Province, rangelands account for approximately 34 percent of the country’s total land area. The region is home to 92 medicinal plant species, 82 of which are actively traded in contemporary markets, generating an estimated annual revenue of NPR 36 million.

Despite their ecological and economic importance, yak populations across Bhutan, India and Nepal have declined significantly in recent decades because of changing land-use patterns, rangeland degradation, climate pressures and socioeconomic changes.

Festival to Highlight Highland Culture and Livelihoods

The Royal Highland Festival will also feature yak displays, cultural performances, highland product exhibitions and traditional games.

The gathering will provide opportunities for interviews with herders, federation leaders, researchers, policymakers and development partners on climate change, migration, traditional livelihoods and rangeland conservation.

By bringing together yak herders from three Himalayan countries, the new network seeks to strengthen regional cooperation, safeguard traditional knowledge and cultural heritage, and help mountain communities respond to emerging environmental and socioeconomic challenges. #RSS