Bhutan, India, and Nepal launch Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network

Bhutan, India, and Nepal will formally launch the Himalayan Yak Herders’ Network on 23 October 2026, during the 9th Royal Highland Festival in Laya, Gasa. The initiative establishes the first regional platform dedicated exclusively to yak-herding communities across the Himalayas, with Bhutan hosting the network’s secretariat.

The herder-led network brings together the Bhutan Yak Federation, the Yak and Chauri Farmers Federation Nepal, and the Yak Federation of India. Facilitated by the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (ICIMOD), the network aims to foster collective advocacy, knowledge exchange, capacity building, and cross-border cooperation.

Highland communities face significant threats, including shrinking pastures, climate change, declining yak populations, wildlife depredation, and the migration of young people away from traditional livelihoods. In Bhutan, the national yak population decreased by approximately 28 percent between 2020 and 2024. Rangelands cover more than 60 percent of the Hindu Kush Himalaya and support an estimated 25–30 million people, with yaks providing essential food security and pastoral income for numerous ethnic groups.